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HOW  TO  PUT  ON 
AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


How  to  Put  On 
an  Amateur  Circus 


Fred  A.  Hacker 

and 

Prescott  W.  Eames 

With  Photographs  and  Sketches 
By  the  Authors 


CHICAGO 

T.  S.  DENISON  &  COMPANY 

Publishers 


COPYRIGHT,      1923 

By 

T.    S.   DENISON  6?  COMPANY 

Made   in   U.  S.  A. 


How  to  Put  On 
an  Amateur  Circus 


7U3 

2. 


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■  ^-v— 

INTRODUCTION 

INCE  men  and  women  are  merely  chil- 
dren g,rown  up,  this  book  is  for  the  use 
of  all  boys  and  g,irls  between  the  ag,es 
of  eight  and  eighty.  It  is  especially 
recommended  to  playground  and  club 
directors,  managers  of  Junior  Chau- 
tauquas,  chairmen  of  school  entertainments,  society 
folk  who  wish  to  produce  a  pleasing,  burlesque  affair, 
and  each  and  every  one  interested  in  amateur  amuse- 
ments. The  idea  is  to  brin£  the  circus  to  town  at  any 
time  ;  for  if  the  regular  aggregation  of  wonders  is  not 
in  sig,ht,  you  can  make  one  of  your  own. 

How  to  Put  On  an  Amateur  Circus  prob- 
ably was  born  in  the  minds  of  its  authors  at  the  time 
when  they  gained  a  reputation  with  their  first  produc- 
tion in  a  barn  loft.  The  idea  stayed  with  them  during 
the  years  in  which  their  reputation  and  ability  g,rew. 
They  have  put  on  many  circuses,  and  their  success  un- 
doubtedly has  been  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  they 
have  never  lost  sight  of  the  juvenile  principle.  And 
in  this  work  the  needs  of  the  boys  with  only  a  loft  or 
a  backyard  at  their  disposal  have  been  taken  care  of, 
as  well  as  those  of  the  more  studied  performance 
under  a  tent,  in  an  auditorium  or  other  enclosure.  It 
has  been  soug,ht  to  do  away  entirely  with  the  difficulty 
experienced  by  directors  in  &atherin&  ideas,  material 
and  necessary  paraphernalia. 

The  authors  have  been  called  upon  to  direct  cir- 
cuses for  schools,  clubs,  playgrounds  and  similar  or- 


I  I  ! 5399 


^anizations.  Each  time  they  tried  to  make  the  circus 
better  than  their  preceding  one.  Notes  and  photo- 
graphs were  kept,  together  with  new  ideas  and  helpful 
suggestions  from  outsiders.  The  entertainment  herein 
presented  is  the  outgrowth  of  all  this  practiced  experi- 
ence, and  was  first  offered  in  response  to  a  request 
from  one  of  the  largest  Chautauqua  bureaus  for  some 
constructive  play  plan  for  its  Junior  department. 
From  many  different  plans  submitted  the  circus  idea 
was  selected.  Since  the  construction  work  was  to  be 
carried  on  by  boys  and  &irls  it  was  necessary  to  sim- 
plify the  directions  and  drawin&s. 

Many  experiments  were  made  with  different  ma- 
terials in  the  construction  of  animals  and  parapher- 
nalia until  the  most  suitable,  inexpensive  and  available 
were  found.  The  drawings  were  carefully  made  and 
the  dimensions  and  directions  worked  out  so  plainly 
that  a  child  mi&ht  readily  understand  them  and  carry 
on  the  construction  with  little  supervision.  The  enter- 
tainment is  suited  to  any  number  of  participants  of  all 
a&es  and  sizes  and  can  be  used  by  boys  and  &irls  alone 
or  by  g,rown-ups. 

This  circus  was  produced  successfully  in  500 
Chautauqua  towns  in  twenty  states  during  a  three-year 
period  before  bein&  published.  It  is  hoped  that  it  may 
be  helpful  to  schools,  clubs  and  all  organizations  and 
individuals  looking  for  a  novel  entertainment ;  that  it 
will  relieve  the  director  of  the  bulk  of  his  worries ; 
and  that  it  will  &ive  our  boys  and  &irls  many  happy 
hours  of  constructive  play. 

The  Publishers 


CONTENTS 

chapter  page 

Introduction    5 

I.  In  General 9 

II.  To  the  Director 11 

III.  To  the  Foreman  of  Construction  Work 15 

IV.  Painting   and  Decorating 55 

V.  To  the  Clown  and  Comic  Character  Master 57 

VI.  To  the  Side  Show  Manager 61 

VII.  To  the  Clown  Band  Leader 69 

VIII.  About  Grease  Paints 71 

IX.  The  Parade   75 

X.  Details  of  Performance 79 

XI.  Order   of  Performance 101 

XII.  The  Ringmaster    103 

XIII.  To  the  Advertising  and  Finance  Manager 107 

XIV.  A  Model  Program  for  Your  Circus 110 


CHAPTER  ONE 
In  General 

This  book  is  the  outgrowth  of  numerous  amateur  cir- 
cuses directed  by  the  authors  and  their  co-workers.  The  suc- 
cess of  these  circuses,  and  the  frequent  requests  from  many 
sources  for  suggestions  and  help  in  giving  similar  entertain- 
ments, have  convinced  the  authors  that  there  is  a  widespread 
demand  for  entertainments  of  this  kind.  They  can  be  put  on 
in  a  very  short  time,  require  very  little  practicing,  allow  a  large 
number  to  take  part,  and,  from  the  financial  standpoint,  are 
great  money-makers.  Every  feature  and  stunt  suggested  has 
been  actually  tried  out  and  proven  successful. 

One  of  the  leading  Chautauqua  bureaus  used  the  plan  for 
a  season  in  connection  with  their  Junior  Chautauqua  work  on 
their  large  circuit.  The  next  season  it  was  used  by  them  again 
on  three  of  their  circuits.  One  of  the  first  local  organizations 
to  use  it  was  the  Denver,  Colorado,  Playground  Association, 
which  adopted  the  plan  for  their  Annual  Play  Day. 

Circuses  put  on  by  home  talent  are  by  no  means  new. 
This  production  is  out  of  the  ordinary  in  that  it  is  a  burlesque 
circus.  It  is  entirely  a  home-made  affair,  and  the  making  of 
the  animals  and  paraphernalia  is  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures 
that  those  taking  part  will  derive  from  the  circus.  Most  of 
the  materials  can  be  furnished  by  the  participants. 

Perhaps  the  reason  that  minstrel  shows,  as  put  on  by  ama- 
teurs, are  so  universally  successful,  is  that  the  performers 
realize  that  they  are  not  recognizable,  therefore  stage  fright 
does  not  have  to  be  reckoned  with.  The  same  holds  true  with 
a  burlesque  circus. 

The  circus  as  here  outlined  has  three  aims  in  view:  First, 
to  develop  originality,  taste,  and  ability  for  constructive  rather 
than  destructive  play;  second,  to  provide  an  unique  entertain- 
ment, suited  to  any  number  of  participants  of  varied  ages; 
third,  to  make  money. 

9 


10 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


More  features  are  suggested  than  will  probably  be  used. 
The  effort  has  been  to  offer  a  variety  of  features  so  that  a  se- 
lection, pleasing  to  any  audience  and  adapted  to  any  local  con- 
ditions, can  be  made. 

It  will  be  noted  also  that  great  flexibility  is  allowed  as  to 
the  manner  of  presentation.  The  authors  have  produced  juve- 
nile circuses  under  widely  varying  conditions — sometimes  in 
school  auditoriums,  sometimes  in  gymnasiums,  sometimes  under 
canvas.  These  varying  conditions  are  all  taken  into  considera- 
tion in  the  chapters  which  follow,  so  that  the  circus  idea,  as  pre- 
sented here,  may  prove  practical  under  all  conditions. 


Seats 


TracK 


Platform 
22*24 


Band         Performers' 
Entrance 


Figure  1 
plan  recommended  eor  a  tent  circus 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


11 


CHAPTER  TWO 


TO    THE    DIRECTOR. 


The  circus  may  be  given  in  a  gymnasium,  an  auditorium, 
a  theater,  or  in  assembly  rooms  in  schools.  A  large  tent,  if 
available,  with  a  platform  and  ring  in  the  center,  would  be  ideal 
for  the  circus.  Figure  1  shows  the  plan  of  a  tent  with  proper 
arrangement  of  seats,  platform  and  ring.  A  tent  80  by  120  ft. 
is  the  ideal  size.  A  smaller  one  can  be  used  by  leaving  out 
either  the  ring  or  platform.  The  tent  and  seats  can  be  rented 
at  a  reasonable  cost. 


Figure  2 

this  amateur  circus  tent  was  pitched  on  the  school 

playground 


If  a  theater  or  auditorium  is  used,  a  roll  of  slat  fencing, 
borrowed  from  the  hardware  dealer,  and  placed  across  the  front 
of  the  stage,  will  make  a  fine  arena  for  the  animal  acts. 

If  a  gymnasium  or  auditorium  is  not  available  a  large  hall 
in  a  school  building  will  serve.  Several  large  tables  can  be  used 
for  a  stage,  or  two-inch  planks  can  be  placed  on  saw  horses. 
Entrances  and  exits  can  be  made  from  adjoining  rooms. 


12  HOW  TO   PUT  ON 

Unless  crowded  for  room,  do  not  place  side  shows  in  the 
same  room  with  the  general  performance.  Use,  if  possible, 
halls  and  rooms  leading  to  the  "Big  Tent,"  and  keep  audience 
out  of  the  latter  while  side  shows  are  showing.  If  the  side 
shows  take  well  it  may  be  wise  to  delay  the  ring  performance. 
The  small  side  shows  can  be  housed  in  booths,  while  others, 
such  as  the  negro  minstrels,  had  best  be  given  in  rooms.  The 
side  shows  may  also  be  made  a  part  of  the  general  performance, 
or  they  can  be  given  in  the  form  of  a  concert  immediately  after 
the  general  performance.  In  this  way  no  extra  space  will  need 
to  be  provided  for  the  side  shows. 

The  circus  as  outlined  calls  for  135  participants  but  the 
number  of  side  shows  and  the  number  of  features  in  the  ring 
performance  may  be  increased  or  decreased,  and  the  number 
of  performers  in  the  various  features  may  also  be  varied  to 
include  a  greater  or  smaller  number.  By  having  side  show 
people  take  part  in  the  ring  performance  the  circus  can  be 
staged  by  seventy-five  people.  If  only  a  ring  performance  is 
given,  as  few  as  forty  people  can  stage  it  successfully.  The 
ring  performance  will  consume  from  one  and  a  half  to  two 
hours. 

When  describing  the  plan  to  participants  for  the  first  time, 
make  clear  to  all  the  nature  of  the  circus,  emphasizing  its  novel 
and  striking  features.  Bring  out  clearly  the  fact  that  no  one 
will  recognize  the  performers  in  their  "get-ups" ;  that  making 
the  animals  and  costumes  is  great  fun;  and  that  these  unique 
products  of  their  own  handiwork  will  be  theirs  after  the  circus. 

The  preliminary  work,  such  as  making  the  animals  and  cos- 
tumes, had  best  be  completed  and  got  out  of  the  way,  reserving 
for  the  last  few  days  the  practicing  and  the  working  up  of  the 
various  stunts.  It  has  been  the  experience  of  the  authors  that, 
with  only  a  short  time  in  which  to  work  up  the  performance, 
the  interest  and  enthusiasm  are  kept  at  high  pitch,  and  the  re- 
sult is  a  performance  full  of  "pep"  and  go.  Very  successful 
circuses  have  been  given  without  a  single  rehearsal,  in  cases  of 
emergency. 

The  director  needs  assistants  to  take  charge  of  the  various 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


13 


features  and  groups  of  performers,  reserving  for  himself  the 
responsibility  of  the  circus  as  a  whole. 

The  circus  naturally  divides  itself  into  the  following  de- 
partments, each  of  which  requires  a  capable  person  in  charge, 
who  will  co-operate  with  the  director. 

The  Foreman  of  Construction  Work  must  be  a  man  of 
mechanical  ability.  He  has  charge  of  the  construction  and 
securing  of  all  circus  paraphernalia,  such  as  animal  frames, 
ring  furniture,  cages,  floats,  banners,  and  calliope.  He  has 
charge  of  stage  hands  and  all  properties,  and  during  the  per- 


Figure  3 
"building  the  frames  for  the  animals 


formance  is  boss  behind  the  scenes,  dispatching  the  participants 
at  the  proper  time.  If  a  manual  training  teacher  is  available 
he  will  probably  be  an  ideal  man  to  supervise  all  construction 
work. 

The  Costume  Maker  should  work  in  conjunction  with  the 
foreman  of  construction  work  in  the  making  of  "skins"  for  the 
animals,  and  with  the  clown  and  character  master  in  the  mak- 
ing of  clown  and  character  costumes.  This  department  head 
also   directs   the  making  of  the  lion,  bear,   cubs   and  monkey. 


14  HOW  TO   PUT  ON 

The  Clown  and  Character  Master  drills  the  clowns  and 
characters  in  their  stunts.  His  stunts  will  be  more  successful 
and  his  direction  easier  if  he  goes  into  the  ring  as  a  per- 
former himself.  He  then  can  direct  the  acts  in  a  low  voice,  and 
his  presence  will  lend  confidence  to  the  performers.  He  over- 
sees the  making  of  costumes  and  the  securing  of  properties  for 
his  acts.  If  he  can  make  up  his  clowns  and  characters,  so  much 
the  better. 

The  Side  Show  Manager  selects  and  instructs  the  per- 
formers for  the  side  show  features,  and  is  responsible  for  the 
securing  of  side  show  properties  and  the  arranging  of  the  side 
show  "tents." 

The  Band  Leader's  first  duty  is  the  securing  and  proper 
care  of  the  instruments.  Besides  working  up  his  own  part  he 
calls  and  conducts  the  rehearsals  of  the  band.  He  has  oppor- 
tunity for  some  good  acting,  and  if  he  is  quick  to  grasp  a  sit- 
uation he  can  liven  up  things. 

The  Advertising  and  Finance  Manager  is  the  business 
man  of  the  circus.  He  should  have  charge  of  the  securing  and 
distributing  of  all  advertising  matter.  If  advertising  space 
is  to  be  sold  on  programs  or  on  parade  banners  he  sees  to  this 
also.  He  writes  locals  about  the  circus  for  the  newspapers. 
He  distributes  tickets  for  sale  and  appoints  ticket  sellers  for 
the  side  shows  and  general  performance.  He  appoints  hawkers 
to  sell  refreshments.  Cash  returns  are  made  to  him  and  he  is 
responsible  for  the  turning  in  of  tickets  and  the  paying  of 
bills.  All  purchases  should  be  made  through  him  since  it  is  his 
duty  to  keep  expenses  down  and  receipts  up. 

The  Parade  Marshal  has  complete  charge  of  the  routing 
and  arrangement  of  the  parade. 

Some  of  the  work  of  managing  may  be  doubled  up,  one  man- 
ager having  charge  of  two  departments.  For  instance,  the 
clown  and  character  master  could  also  act  as  parade  marshal. 

In  addition  to  the  staff  assistants  mentioned  above,  com- 
mittees must  be  appointed  to  drill  and  rehearse  the  various 
groups  of  performers. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  15 


CHAPTER  THREE 

To  the  Foreman  of  Construction  Work 
At  your  first  meeting  ask  for  materials  and  supplies  that 
you  will  need,  remembering  to  ask  for  more  than  will  be  needed, 
for   many   who    promise    enthusiastically    will    disappoint    you. 
You  will  need  at  once  the  following  tools  and  materials. 

ITEMS  AMOUNTS  ACTUALLY  NEEDED 

Burlap  (gunny  sacks) 100  or  more 

No.  9  fence  wire  or  clothesline  wire.  .  .300  feet 

Poultry  netting  (5  feet  wide) 100   feet  long 

One-by-one-inch  strips  of  wood 200   feet 

Laths    50  to  75 

Nails  (threepenny  and  sixpenny) 1  pound  each 

Carpet  tacks    Several  boxes 

Wire  staples  (light  weight) 1  pound 

Hammers    A  half-dozen 

Saws A  crosscut  and  a  rip 

Pliers   (for  Mire  cutting) Two  or  more  pairs 

Brace  and  two  bits 3/16-inch  bit,  1-inch  bit 

Rule,  yard  stick  or  tape Several 

Darning  needles  (large) A  half-dozen 

Cotton  string One  ball 

Boxes   (wooden)    A  good  assortment 

Candy  pails  or  small  barrels Several 

Pulp  board  or  cardboard 12  sheets  11  x  14  inches 

Paint  and  brushes See  Chapter  Four 

Some  hay  or  excelsior ;  a  bundle  of  newspapers ;  some  pieces  of 
old  rope;  muslin,   duck  or  Canton  flannel.      The  various 
materials   need  not  be  new.      Old  pieces   of  poultry  wire 
may  be  gathered,  and  odd  bits  of  crating  or  box  boards 
ripped  to  size.    As  materials  are  brought  in,  sort  and  pack 
them  in  boxes. 
Select  the  performers  to  take  the  parts  of  the  Elephant, 
Giraffe,  Gook,  Ostrich,  Ponies,  Circus  Ambulance  and  other  fea- 
tures requiring  construction  work.     Make  sure  that  those  se- 
lected are  large  enough  to  take  part,  as  well  as  capable  of 


16 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


doing  the  work.  Cut  all  materials  to  size  as  described  later. 
If  the  boys  tie  up  and  label  the  stock  as  it  is  got  out,  much  con- 
fusion will  be  avoided  and  time  saved  in  assembling.  The  girls 
can  be  set  to  opening  and  cleaning  sacks.  These  should  then 
be  sewed  together  to  make  strips  large  enough  to  cover  the 
animals.  This  can  be  done  on  a  sewing  machine  if  one  is 
available. 

With  the  assistance  of  one  of  the  larger  boys,  quickly  as- 
semble one  of  the  large  animals,  explaining  at  the  same  time 
the  reading  of  the  drawings.     With  all  materials  cut  to  size, 


Figure  4 
painting  and  decorating  the  animals 


and  the  drawings  before  them,  the  boys  can  easily  assemble  the 
other  animals.  Meanwhile  the  girls  are  assisting  the  costume 
director  in  the  making  of  clown  and  character  costumes. 

The  boys  and  girls  will  work  together  in  the  covering,  sew- 
ing up  and  painting  of  the  animals.  When  covering  it  is  best 
to  fasten  the  burlap  to  the  frames,  cut  and  trim  to  fit,  then 
sew  with  large  needle  and  twine. 

While  many  more  animals  may  be  made  than  those  sug- 
gested, it  has  been  the  experience  of  the  authors  that  to  con- 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  17 

struct  a  few  well-made  animals  is  better  than  to  attempt  a  large 
variety. 

The  animals  divide  themselves  into  two  groups ;  those  that 
require  framework  and  those  that  do  not.  Those  requiring 
framework  are  the  Elephant,  Gook,  Giraffe,  Ostrich,  Ponies, 
Giant  Hootus  and  Wompus  Cat.  The  Elephant,  Gook  and 
Giraffe  each  require  two  men,  one  to  form  front  legs  and  one 
to  form  hind  legs,  while  the  Ostrich  and  the  Ponies  require 
only  one  man  each. 

The  animals  that  are  made  without  a  framework  are  the 
Bear,  Cubs,  Lion  and  Monkey,  only  one  man  being  required 
for  each  animal.  The  costumes  for  these  animals  are  made 
after  the  pattern  of  a  sleeping  garment. 

In  covering  the  first  group  of  animals,  use  burlap  or  any 
coarse  cloth.  The  second  group  requires  strong  cloth  such  as 
muslin,  duck,  or  Canton  flannel.  Canton  flannel  is  the  most 
satisfactory.  Any  of  these  cloths  can  be  bought  in  suitable 
colors,  or  the  white  material  can  be  dyed  the  desired  shades. 

THE    ELEPHANT 

For  the  construction  of  the  Elephant  the  following  materials 
are  required: 

Two  runnel's  (D  and  E),  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  6  ft.  2  in. 
Two  crosspieces   (A  and  C),  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  1  ft.  10  in. 
One  curved  neckpiece  (B),  1  in.  x  5  in.  x  18  in. 
One  upper  strip  (G),  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  3  ft.  8  in. 
Two  braces  (X),  1  in.  x  1  in.,  length  cut  to  fit. 
Wire  loop  (F),  one  piece  No.  9  wire,  12  ft.  long. 
Wire  ribs  (H,  K  and  L),  each  4  ft.  long. 
Wire  rib  (J),  5  ft.  6  in.  long. 
Wire  back  ribs  (T  and  IT),  one  piece  4  ft.  6  in.  long,  bent  V- 

shape. 
Wire  ears  (W),  two  pieces  4  ft.  6  in.  long. 
Two  semicircular  pieces  (M  and  N),  each  !/o  in.  x  9  in.  x  18  in. 
One  semicircular  piece  (R),  %  in.  x  3  in.  x  6  in. 
Three  laths  (O,  P  and  Q),  26  in.  long. 

The  several  pieces  are  designated  by  letters,  for  easy  ref- 
erence to  Figure  6. 


18 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


19 


To  assemble  the  Elephant,  first  nail  crosspieces  to  runners 
as  in  Figure  6.  Two  tall  persons  are  to  carry  this  frame  on 
their  shoulders.  Staple  wire  F  to  frame  as  shown.  Bore  three 
3/16-in.  holes  through  strip  G,  slip  ribs  H,  K  and  L  through 


Fill  ouf  with 
excelsior 


■Staple 


Figure  6 
assembled  frame  for  elephant 


to  center  of  wire,  bind  by  crossing  wires  over,  shape  curves  and 
twist  ends  securely  to  loop  F.  Nail  the  two  braces  X  in  place. 
Bend  the  back  pieces  T,  U  and  J  into  shape  and  fasten  in  like 
manner.     Nail  neckpiece  B  to  upper  strip  G  at  Z. 


Figure  7 
assembled  frame  for  baby  elephant,  before  attaching 


WIRE    NETTING 


20 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Nail  pieces  M  and  N  together  on  their  straight  edges  at 
right  angles.  Laths  0,  P  and  Q  are  nailed  to  pieces  N  and  R 
as  shown.  Put  head  in  place  as  shown,  nailing  headpiece  M 
to  neckpiece  B,  and  laths  O  and  P  to  runners  D  and  E. 

Cover  entire  frame  with  poultry  netting  to  keep  burlap 
cover  from  sagging,  attaching  to  frame  and  ribs  with  staples 
and  bits  of  wire.     Bring  netting  over  head  and  neck  and  press 


Yellow 

and 

Green 


Jted 


■Green, 


Designm 

fied 


Figure  8 
phantom  view  of  elephant,  showing  decoration 


into  shape.  Cover  the  greater  part  of  the  body  with  a  brightly 
colored  table  cloth,  rug  or  couch  cover.  The  remaining  parts 
of  the  body  and  head  are  covered  with  burlap.  Newspapers 
placed  between  burlap  and  netting  will  make  it  opaque. 

The  trunk  is  made  of  burlap,  tied  with  string  at  the  lower 
end,   and   stuffed  with   excelsior.      Make   tusks   of  white   cloth 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  21 

and  stuff  with  cotton.     For  the  ears,  bend  each  wire  to  shape, 
as  shown  in  the  drawing,  leaving  a  free  end  about  six  inches 
long  which  is  passed  through  hole  on  pieces  0  and  P.     Cover 
each  ear  with  burlap.      The  front  operator  flaps  the  ears  by 
manipulating  the  wire  ends.     Sew  on  a  bit  of  small  rope  for  a 
tail.     The  operators  are  dressed  in  large,  loose-legged  overalls 
to  which  burlap  has  been  sewed.     Sew  a  wire  loop  in  the  bottom 
of  pants  legs.   For  painting  facial  expressions  refer  to  Figure  8. 
A  Baby  Elephant  may  be  made  by  reducing  the  dimensions. 
Material  of  the  following  sizes  should  be  used : 
Two  runners  (D  and  E),  each  3  ft.  6  in.  long. 
Two  crosspieces  (A  and  C),  each  14  in.  long. 
One  curved  neck  piece  (B),  1  in.  x  4  in.  x  18  in. 
Upper  strip  (G),  2  ft.  long. 
Braces  (X),  laths  cut  to  fit. 
Wire  loop  (F),  8  ft.  long. 
Wire  ribs  (H,  L  and  K),  each  3  ft.  long. 
Wire  rib  (J),  5  ft.  6  in.  long. 

Wire  back  ribs  (T  and  U),  one  piece  3  ft.  long,  bent  V-shape. 
Wire  ears  (W),  two  pieces  2  ft.  6  in.  long. 
Two  semicircular  pieces  for  head   (M  and  N),  each  l/>  in.  x 

6  in.  x  12  in. 
One  semicircular  piece  for  head  (R),  Y2  in.  x  1^  in.  x  3  in. 
Three  laths  (0,  P  and  Q),  18  in.  long. 


THE   GOOK 


The  Gook  is  an  imaginary  animal  with  an  elastic  neck  and 
movable  head.  The  details  of  construction  are  shown  in 
Figure  9.  The  structure  of  the  body  is  quite  similar  to  that 
of  the  Elephant,  though  the  modifications  should  be  carefully 
noted.     The  following  materials  are  required: 

Two  runners,  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  4  ft.  4  in. 

Two  crosspieces,  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  20  in. 

One  back  strip,  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  3  ft. 

Two  braces,  1  in.  x  1  in.,  length  cut  to  fit. 

Wire  loop,  one  piece  No.  9  wire,  10  ft.  long. 


22 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  23 

Three  wire  ribs,  -A  ft.   10  in.  long. 

One  wire  rib  for  front,  5  ft.  long. 

Three  wire  ribs  for  rear,  cut  to  fit. 

Ten  neck  pieces,  12  in.  lengths  of  laths. 

Two  front  neck  pieces,  8  in.  laths. 

Two  head  pieces  (P  and  P),  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  10  in. 

One  cross  piece  (R),  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  6  in. 

One  nose  piece  (Q),  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  20  in. 

One  shoulder  piece   (B),  18  in.  length  of  lath. 

One  shoulder  piece  (0),  lath,  cut  to  suit. 

One  stout  cord  to  move  head,  cut  to  suit. 


9  W 


Figure  10 
framework  for  gook  head  and  neck 

To  make  the  Gook's  head,  first  securely  nail  nose  piece  Q 
to  crosspiece  R  in  the  shape  of  a  cross,  seven  inches  from  one 
end  of  nose  piece  Q.  Then  nail  to  this  the  two  head  pieces  P, 
as  shown  in  Figure  9.  To  shape  the  skull,  moisten  a  piece  of 
cardboard  and  bend  it  over  the  head  frame.  Fasten  it  with 
large-headed  tacks  and  tie  where  necessary,  to  shape. 

The  neck,  which  can  be  made  entirely  of  laths,  is  assembled 
as  shown.  Use  threepenny  nails,  one  nail  at  eadh  joint.  Take 
care  to  have  the  joints  come  exactly  in  the  center  of  the  twelve- 
inch  pieces  and  six  inches  from  the  end  of  O.  Length  of  O 
depends   on   size  of  operator.      Join   the  head  to  the  neck  by 


24 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Figure  11 
assembled  frame  for  gook  body  with  wire  netting  in  place 

boring  a  three-sixteenth  inch  hole  through  the  four  pieces  (P, 
P  and  two  front  laths  N)  and  securing  with  a  large  nail.  A 
little  limbering  up  will  allow  the  neck  to  close  and  extend,  and 
the  head  to  raise,  lower,  and  shake  from  side  to  side.     A  cord 


Yellow- 


Figure  12 
phantom  view  of  the  gook 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


25 


passed  from  the  upper  end  of  nose  piece  Q  to  the  front  operator 
manipulates  the  raising  and  lowering  of  the  head.  A  shorter 
cord  is  fastened  to  the  first  lath  to  prevent  the  head  from 
dropping  too  far. 

The  frame  for  the  Gook's  body  is  not  unlike  that  for  the 
Elephant.  First  nail  the  crosspieces  to  the  runners  as  shown 
in  the  drawing.  Two  rather  tall  persons  carry  this  frame  on 
their   shoulders.      Fasten  the  wire   loop   to   the   frame.      Bore 


Figure  13 
photograph  of  the  gook  in  action 


holes  through  the  back  strip,  slip  ribs  through  and  bend  them 
over  and  down.  Secure  the  ends  of  the  ribs  to  the  loop.  Cut 
the  braces  to  proper  length  and  put  them  in  place.  Bend  the 
back  and  front  ribs  to  shape  and  put  them  in  place. 

When  the  frame  is  completed,  cover  the  entire  frame  with 
poultry  netting  to  keep  the  burlap  from  sagging  between  the 
ribs.  Then  cover  with  burlap,  laying  newspaper  between  bur- 
lap and  poultry  netting.     The  operators  will  wear  loose-fitting 


26 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Figure  14 
the  gook  poses  fob  another  portrait 

burlap  overalls.  For  a  tail,  ravel  the  end  of  a  bit  of  rope  and 
sew  on.  The  tail  can  be  stiffened  with  a  piece  of  wire  and 
manipulated  by  the  rear  operator.  Or  a  feather  duster  can 
be  used  for  a  tail.  Refer  to  the  illustrations  for  suggestions 
for  painting  and  decorating. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


27 


Figure  15 
the  circus  giraffe  in  his  native  haunt 


28 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


B/pcff 

/gA-3"*6" 


-/"Ola.  6'Leny. 

-Wo//  (/oosej  Allowance  is  made 

-CorJ  to  operator-  for  fastening  wires 

All  No.9  wire 

Bock-f*/,jf3'-/0" 
Rib  5ft 

Rib  4ft.,6in. 


Rib  4  ft; 
Cut 


Figure  16 
the  giraffe details  of  construction 


THE   GIRAFFE 

After  building  the  Elephant  and  the  Gook,  detailed  instruc- 
tions are  hardly  necessary  for  assembling  the  framework  of 
the  Giraffe.     Here  are  the  materials  needed: 

Two  runners,  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  4  ft.  2  in. 

Two  crosspieces,  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  24  in. 

One  back  piece,  1  in.  x.  1  in.  x  3  ft.  10  in. 

One  upright,  1  in.  x  1  in.,  length  cut  to  fit. 

One  brace,  1  in.  x  y2  in.,  length  cut  to  fit. 

One  wire  loop,  10  ft.  long. 

One  wire  rib,  5  ft.  long. 

One  wire  rib,  4  ft.  6  in.  long. 

One  wire  rib,  4  ft.  long. 

Three  wire  ribs  for  rear,  cut  to  fit. 

One  wire  rib  for  front,  cut  to  fit. 

One  neck  stick,  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  9  ft. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


29 


Two  nose  pieces,  ^  in.  x  5  in.  x  14  in. 
One  nose  block,  ll/§  in.  x  S  in.  x  6  in. 
One  stout  cord  to  move  head. 
Two  horns,  1  in.  round  by  6  in.  long. 

To  assemble  the  framewoi'k,  first  nail  crosspieces  to  run- 
ners spacing  these  sticks  as  called  for  in  Figure  16.     Then  put 


Figure  17 
thli  giraffe  and  a  native  attendant 

in  place  the  wire  loop,  back,  ribs  and  braces.  This  framework, 
like  that  of  the  Elephant  and  the  Gook,  is  to  be  carried  on  the 
shoulders  of  two  operators.  Cover  the  entire  frame  with 
poultry   netting,   then   with   newspapers,   and   finally   with   the 


30 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Orange> 
Spots 


Figure  18 
phantom  view  op  the  giraffe 


AN   AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


31 


burlap,  which  should  hang  down  below  the  operators'   waist- 
lines, as  indicated  in  the  photographs  and  drawings. 

Wrap  enough  paper  around  the  head  to  give  it  a  properly 
rounded  appearance,  and  then  cover  it  with  burlap.  The  ears 
may  be  small  tubular  pockets,  stuffed  tight  and  sewed  to  the 
head,  or  they  may  be  six-inch  lengths  of  broomstick,  nailed 
to  the  head  and  covered  with  burlap.  Sew  burlap  into  a  long 
tube  to  form  the  neck,  and  sew  to  the  head. 


Figure  19 


MUSIC   HATH   CHARMS 


The  front  operator  holds  the  neck  pole,  which  may  be 
fastened,  for  convenience  in  carrying,  to  the  front  of  the  body 
loop  by  means  of  a  wire  hook.  This  operator  causes  the  head 
to  nod  by  means  of  the  cord,  and  can  make  the  animal  turn  its 
head  and  neck  by  twisting  the  pole.  A  small  rope,  stiffened, 
with  wire,  is  attached  for  a  tail,  extending  inside  through  the 
cover  so  that  the  rear  operator  can  manipulate  it. 


32 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


The  operators  wear  rather  tight  fitting  burlap  overalls. 
The  head,  neck,  body  and  legs  are  to  be  painted  and  decorated 
in  a  manner  suggested  by  the  photographs  and  drawings. 


Figure  20 
the  construction  of  the  pony 


THE  PONY 


Unlike  the  preceding  animals,  the  Pony  has  but  one  opera- 
tor, and  the  framework  is  slung  at  the  waist  from  the  shoulders 
instead  of  being  borne  directly  on  the  shoulders  and  overhead. 
The  framework  of  the  Pony  requires  the  following  materials, 
the  reference  by  letter  being  to  Figure  20: 

Two  runners  (A  and  B),  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  3  ft. 

Two  crosspieces  (C  and  D),  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  15  in. 

One  piece  No.  9  wire  (E),  10  ft.  long. 

One  piece  No.  9  wire  (F),  4  ft.  long. 

Three  pieces  No.  9  wire,  for  ribs,  4  ft.  long. 

One  neck  piece  (G),  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  28  in. 

Two  neck  stays  (N  and  O),  barrel  hoops  cut  to  fit. 

Back  arch  (K),  barrel  hoop  cut  to  fit. 

Two  braces  (I  and  J),  1  in.  x  1  in.,  cut  to  fit, 

Two  nose  pieces  (H),  laths,  14  in.  long. 

One  nose  block,  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  3  in. 

One  small  crosspiece  (M),  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  5  in. 
The  runners  and  crosspieces  are  nailed  together  as  for  the 
other  frames.     There  should  be  twelve  inches  of  space  between 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


33 


the  two  runners.  Neck  piece  G  is  nailed  to  crosspiece  D  and 
supported  by  the  stays  N  and  O,  which  are  nailed  to  the  front 
ends  of  A  and  B.  When  these  are  in  place,  loop  E  is  bent  into 
shape,  the  ends  twisted  together  and  attached  to  the  frame 
with  staples. 


Figure  21 
phantom  view  of  pony  and  rider 


The  three  wire  ribs  are  bent  V-shape,  wrapped  around  small 
loop  F  and  the  free  ends  twisted  to  the  large  loop  E,  as  in 
Figure  20.  The  two  lath  nose  pieces  H  are  nailed  securely  to 
neck  piece  G  at  point  L,  with  the  small  block  tacked  between 
them  at  the  tip  of  the  nose.  Small  crosspiece  M  is  nailed  to 
G  a  few  inches  below  L.      This  is  to  give  shape  to  the  head. 

The  framework  is  completed  by  putting  in  place  back  arch 
K,  made  of  a  piece  of  barrel  hoop,  cut  to  fit.  It  is  steadied  by 
braces  I  and  J,  cut  to  fit,  which  are  nailed  between  K  and  G, 
and  lower  end  wired  firmly  to  loop  F. 


34 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


The  hoops  for  back  arch  K  and  neck  stays  N  and  O  should 
be  soaked  in  water  before  being  used,  so  as  to  make  them  pli- 
able. A  sheet  of  dampened  cardboard  is  shaped  around  the 
head  frame,  tacked  in  place,  pinned  and  trimmed,  as  shown  in 
Figure  20.  The  Pony  framework  is  now  complete,  and  should 
look  like  the  drawing. 

Cover  the  entire  body  with  poultry  netting  except  the  space 
inside  loop  F.  Place  a  few  thicknesses  of  newspaper  over  the 
netting,  then  cover  the  body,  head  and  neck  with  burlap,  stuff- 


Figure  22 
the  circus  cavalry 


ing  out  the  neck  with  crumpled  newspapers  as  much  as  neces- 
sary to  round  it  properly.  Use  burlap-covered  cardboard  for 
the  ears,  and  ravelled  rope  for  the  mane  and  tail. 

Make  a  pair  of  dummy  legs  of  colored  material  and  cover 
them  below  the  knees  with  black  oilcloth  to  represent  riding 
boots.  Or  real  boots  may  be  attached.  These  are  fastened  at 
either  side  of  the  Pony,  to  loop  F.  A  burlap  skirt  almost 
touching  the  ground  is  sewed  around  loop  E  to  conceal  the 
operator's  legs.  Put  on  reins,  then  paint  and  decorate  with 
eyes,  mouth,  bridle,  etc. 

The  operator,  or  rider,  carries  the  Pony  by  shoulder  straps 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


35 


firmly  attached  to  A  and  B.  He  should  wear  a  loose  blouse  or 
full  shirt  bloused  out  to  hide  the  tops  of  the  dummy  legs. 
Bright  colored  shirt,  jockey  cap  and  riding  whip  will  add  a 
good  touch.  When  ready  for  action,  Pony  and  rider  appear 
as  in  Figure  21. 

THE   OSTRICH 

Here  are  the  materials  required  for  building  the  framework 
of  the  Ostrich : 

Two  runners,  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  32  in. 

Two  crosspieces  or  stays,  each  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  20  in. 

One  piece  No.  9  wire  (loop  O),  9  ft.  6  in.  long. 


'•Stop/* 


■Blue 


2/D/eces 
£x<r"x// " 


Extends *?' 
■A/a//  so/id 


&~20c/  sp/'fre 
'n£  "fto/e . 


tlur/op  cover  Cord  to   J 

inted  ye//oW.      operator- 


DETAILS   Of" 
tiEAO 


Figure  23 

framework  of  the  ostrich,  and  details  of 

head  construction 


36 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Figure  24 
the  wild  ostrich very  wild 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


37 


Four  pieces  No.  9  wire,  for  ribs,  about  7  ft.  long. 

One  neck  piece,  1  in.  x  1  in.  x  6  ft.  6  in. 

Two  nose  pieces,  ^4  in.  x  4  in.  x  11  in. 
Nail  together  the  runners  and  crosspieces,  or  stays,  as  in 
the  frameworks  already  described.  Bend  loop  O  into  shape, 
twist  the  ends  together,  and  staple  the  loops  to  the  ends  of 
runners  and  crosspieces.  Bend  the  ribs  into  shape,  twist  the 
ends  to  loop  O  and  fasten  them  together  at  point  of  crossing 
(X,  in  Figure  23)  with  a  bit  of  wire.  This  framework  is  to 
be  carried  on  the  operator's  shoulders. 


■ 

/^ 

N^\ 

/+:']■  1 

/'''';     ,   "•■'       j 

'  !  -'^s^'"  ":*  ^ 

j]     ■  1 

Vs"-^K=^~Js^__~- 

Figure  25 

PHOTOGRAPH   OF   OSTRICH   BODY 
FRAME 


The  construction  of  the  head  is  shown  clearly  in  Figure  23. 
The  nose  pieces  are  whittled  to  shape,  and  square  notches  cut 
in  the  square  ends.  A  round  hole  is  bored  through  each  nose 
piece  a  short  distance  in  front  of  the  notch,  and  a  bunch  of 
rubber  bands  is  passed  through  these  holes.  One  end  of  this 
elastic  cord  is  tacked  to  top  of  pole,  and  the  lower  end  is  stapled 
underneath  the  lower  jaw  or  nose  piece.  A  screw-eye  is  fastened 
under  the  lower  jaw,  and  a  cord  attached  which  runs  down  the 
neck  to  the  operator.  This  enables  the  operator  to  open  and 
close  the  Ostrich's  mouth. 


38 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Yellow  wtf/i 
Slack  stripes 


Figure  26 
phantom  view  of  the  ostrich 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


39 


The  upper  jaw  is  mailed  solidly  to  the  pole,  at  a  slight 
downward  angle,  two  inches  below  the  top  of  the  pole.  The 
lower  jaw  hinges  on  a  twentypenny  spike.  Figure  27  shows 
a  photograph  of  the  finished  head  frame.  The  next  step  is  to 
pad  the  head  with  cotton.     Be  careful  to  leave  the  forepart  of 


Figure  27. 

photograph  of  ostrich  head 

and  neck  frame 


the  beak  bare,  as  in  Figure  23.     Wrap  the  padding  well  with 
twine  to  hold  it  firm,  before  covering. 

Cover  the  entire  body  with  poultry  netting,  leaving  a  hole 
for  the  neck  piece  to  pass  through.  Lay  a  few  thicknesses  of 
paper  over  the  netting,  then  cover  with  burlap,  which  should 


40 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


41 


hang  down  far  enough  below  loop  O  to  be  gathered  about  the 
operator's  waist  with  a  drawstring.  Sew  a  strip  of  burlap  into 
a  long  cloth  tube  for  the  neck.  Cover  the  head  with  cloth,  tack- 
ing as  shown  in  Figure  23,  details  of  head.  Sew  the  neck  to 
the  head. 

Three  feather  dusters,  passed  through  the  cover  and  tied 
to  the  frame,  will  serve  for  tail  and  wings,  which  can  be  ma- 
nipulated by  the  operator.  Or  an  ordinary  mop  would  make 
a  realistic  tail,  and  the  wings  could  be  painted  on,  as  in  Figure 
26.  Tight-fitting  yellow  trousers,  or  tights,  should  be  worn. 
Feet  are  made  by  slipping  an  old  pair  of  yellow  stockings  over 
the  shoes,  and  painting  on  two  toes. 

THE    GIANT    IIOOTUS 

The  Hootus  is  a  splendid  parade  animal.  It  can  be  made 
any  size,  and  a  variable  number  of  boys  can  take  part.  A  dia- 
gram of  the  head  and  neck  is  shown  in  Figure  29.      Make  a 


Figure  29 
head  and  neck  of  the  giant  hootus 


wire  loop  A  for  the  upper  jaw  and  staple  both  ends  to  O,  a 
piece  of  pine  1  in.  x  3  in.  x  14  in.  A  semicircular  piece  of  wire 
is  placed  just  back  of,  and  fastened  to,  the  wire  which  forms 
the  horn  and  bridge  of  the  nose  C,  the  ends  being  fastened  to 
block  O.  Semicircular  wire  stays  are  looped  around  C  and 
fastened  to  loop  A  on  each  side. 


42  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

In  the  lower  jaw,  wire  B  is  bent  to  form  a  loop  at  point  X, 
through  which  a  nail  is  driven  to  serve  as  a  hinge,  allowing 
the  lower  jaw  to  drop.  It  is  held  up  by  means  of  a  cord, 
which  is  fastened  to  the  loop  at  the  back  and  extends  through 
screweyes  along  the  neck  to  the  operator.  The  head  shown  is 
2  ft.  6  in.  long,  and  the  neck  is  8  ft.  long  to  first  operator. 
These  dimensions  will  vary  as  the  number  of  participants  is 
increased  or  decreased. 

The  tail  is  a  1  in.  x  1  in.  strip,  with  wire  loops  fastened  to 
opposite  sides  to  form  humps.  Cover  the  entire  head  and  tail 
with  poultry  netting,  then  with  white  muslin,  or  other  suitable 
material.  The  participants  —  as  many  as  desired  —  walk  in 
single  or  double  file,  the  one  in  front  carrying  the  head,  and 
the  one  in  the  rear,  the  tail. 

The  body  is  formed  by  throwing  sheets  over  the  partici- 
pants. The  sheets  are  then  pinned  around  the  neck  and  down 
the  front,  also  around  the  tail  and  down  the  rear.  The  hump 
in  the  center  is  formed  by  placing  the  tall  participants  in  the 
center  and  the  short  ones  near  the  neck  and  tail.  If  a  very 
large  body  is  desired,  the  sheets  can  be  thrown  over  umbrellas 
carried  by  the  participants. 

The  spots  are  cut  out  of  colored  material  and  sewed  or 
pinned  to  the  cover.  The  teeth  are  cut  out  of  white  cardboard 
and  sewed  to  the  jaws,  which  are  painted  red.  Eyes  may  be 
painted  on,  or  door  knobs,  or  china  eggs,  painted  to  resemble 
eyes,  may  be  used.  White  stockings  are  slipped  over  the  shoes, 
and  claws  painted  on  them.  Figure  28  shows  the  Giant  Hootus 
ready  for  action,  and  suggests  further  decoration. 

THE   WOMPUS    CAT 

The  Wompus  Cat  is  designed  to  be  operated  by  two  boys, 
each  about  four  feet  nine  inches  tall.  Figure  30  shows  the 
framework. 

The  lengths  of  the  wires  in  this  frame  are :  Loops  A  and  B, 
each  S  ft. ;  tail  C-D,  5  ft.  6  in. ;  back  rib  E,  6  ft. ;  head  ribs  F, 
18  in. ;  head  loop  G,  3  ft.  The  middle  loops,  intermediary  ribs, 
etc.,  are  cut  to  fit.  Crosspiece  K  is  a  wooden  strip  1  in.  x  2  in., 
and  11  in.  long.     Handle  J  is  a  1  in.  x  2  in.  board,  length  to 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


43 


suit  convenience  in  handling  the  head.     These  dimensions  may 
vary  if  the  animal  is  to  be  operated  by  boys  larger  or  smaller 


than  those  suggested. 


There  are  separate  frames  for  body  and  for  head,  both 
being  shown  in  Figure  30.  Cover  each  frame  with  poultry 
netting.  Tie  excelsior  to  tail  wire  D  for  padding.  Then  cover 
entire  head,  body  and  tail  with  black  material.     The  head  is 


Figure  30 
framework  of  the  wompus  cat 

joined  to  the  body  with  this  black  covering,  the  outline  of  which 
is  shown  in  Figure  30  by  dotted  lines. 

The  operators  wear  black  trousers  with  feet  attached.  Ears 
are  cut  out  of  cardboard,  covered  with  cloth  and  sewed  in  place. 
They  are  black  outside  and  pink  inside.  Make  eyes  of  yellow 
cloth,  and  sew  them  in  place  with  white  yarn.  The  nose  and 
mouth  are  painted  pink,  and  the  nostrils  black.  Ure  broom 
straws  for  whiskers.  Figure  31  offers  suggestions  for  deco- 
rating the  head. 


44 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Figure  31 
phantom  view  of  womptjs  cat 

The  body  frame  is  carried  by  the  two  boys  by  means  of 
shoulder  slings  attached  to  lower  loops.  The  front  operator 
holds  the  head,  which  he  can  turn  about  in  any  direction.  The 
rear  operator  manipulates  the  tail,  which  has  been  attached  in 
loop  fashion  to  rear  loop  B,  so  that  it  will  hinge.  He  holds 
short  end  C  of  the  tail  wire  which  serves  as  a  lever  handle. 
Figure  31  gives  a  phantom  view  of  the  Wompus  Cat  in 
operation. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


45 


THE    WOOFUS 


This  is  a  good  stunt  for  the  girls.  The  costumes  are  very 
easily  made.  A  girl  stands  in  the  position  shown  in  Figure  32 
with  her  hands  clasped  over  her  head,  while  an  assistant  pins 
the  end  of  a  piece  of  muslin  at  the  waist  line  in  front.  The 
muslin  is  then  drawn  loosely  over  the  head  and  arms,  and 
pinned  at  the  waist  line  in  the  back. 


Figure  32 

showing  phantom  view,  also  external,  appearance, 

of  the  woofus 


The  folds  are  pinned  to  form  a  bag  of  the  shape  shown  by  the 
dotted  lines,  and  the  bag  is  then  removed  over  the  girl's  head. 
The  bag  is  sewed  along  the  lines  pinned,  the  extra  cloth  cut 
off,  and  the  bag  turned  inside  out,  bringing  the  smooth  face 


46 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


of  the  seams  outside,  when  the  bag  is  ready  for  decorating. 

Eyes,  nose  and  mouth  may  be  painted  on,  or  the  features 
may  be  cut  out  of  colored  cloth  and  sewed  in  place.  A  big 
cardboard  collar  is  placed  around  the  waist,  a  man's  large 
coat,  with  shoulders  and  sleeves  stuffed,  is  fastened  to  hang 
from  the  waist,  with  white  cotton  gloves,  stuffed,  attached  to 
the  sleeves.  A  bright  necktie,  and  large  shoes  or  boots,  com- 
plete the  outfit. 

A  number  of  Woofuses  may  be  made  to  dance  the  Virginia 
Reel,  modifying  the  steps  and  action  as  necessary  to  conform 
to  the  costume  limitations. 

BEAR,    LION   AND    MONKEY 

The  costumes  for  the  Bear,  Lion  and  Monkey  are  made  after 
the  design  of  a  sleeping  garment,  for  which  patterns  generally 
can  be  obtained  at  any  dry  goods  store,  or  from  almost  any 


Figure  33 
the  hood  for  animal  head 


woman's  magazine.     Burlap  can  be  used,  but  a  more  suitable 
material  would  be  brown  canton  flannel. 

The  patterns  must  be  modified  somewhat  to  obtain  the  de- 
sired effects.  For  the  Bear,  leave  plenty  of  room  in  the  front 
so  that  it  may  be  padded,  making  the  round  body  of  the  ani- 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


47 


mal.    The  "skins"  of  the  Monkey  and  the  Lion  are  rather  close- 
fitting  and  need  little  padding. 

u'xM-"  cardboard 

shown 


Figure  34 


Bear 


Figure  35 


Use  "blind  buttons"  wherever  buttons  are  necessary.  For 
paws,  sew  thumbless  mittens  to  the  ends  of  the  sleeves,  pad 
them  on  the  back,  and  either  paint  or  sew  on  palms  of  tan. 


Line  fa, 

with 
3laek 


Monkey 

Figure  36 


Jteve/ed 
M 

Eyes 

and  Green 

Red- 


Padded7 


Figure  37 


The  hood,  Figure  33,  is  made  tight-fitting  around  the  face 
and  sewed  to  the  neck  of  the  sleeping  garment.  For  ears, 
sew  on  padded  pockets,  or  make  a  wire  form  and  cover  with 
cloth. 

Figures  34,  35,  36  and  37  will  give  suggestions  for  face 
coverings,  showing  how  the  same  shape  of  cardboard  cone  may 


48 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


be  used  for  each  animal,  the  variations  being  in  cutting;  as 
at  X  in  Figure  34,  and  in  padding  and  painting.  The  cloth 
covering  on  the  face  is  stitched  to  the  cardboard  cone,  the 
free  edges  being  covered  by  the  tight-fitting  hood.  The  dec- 
orations can  be  made  to  conceal  the  holes  which  are  to  be  cut  for 
the  wearer's  vision. 


Figure  38 
photograph  of  monkeys,  bears  and  trainer 


The  Monkey's  tail  is  a  stuffed  cloth  tube,  and  the  Lion's 
tail  is  a  partly  ravelled  rope.  A  piece  of  leather  or  canvas  is 
sewed  to  the  feet  for  soles.  For  facial  expressions,  see  the 
drawings. 

BANNER 

Banners  are  made  of  lath  framework,  the  sizes  depending 
on  the  cardboard  sheets  on  which  the  announcements  are 
painted.  They  are  to  be  carried  by  boys  in  the  parade.  About 
a  dozen  or  more  may  be  needed.  Figure  39  shows  the  con- 
struction. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


49 


f  Figure  39 


ANIMAL    CAGE 


Animal  cages  are  built  of  lath  or  other  light  material. 
Make  them  appear  sturdy,  but  avoid  excess  weight.  Do  not 
have  too  many  bars  in  the  cages,  as  this  will  tend  to  conceal 


Figure  40 


50 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


the  animals  inside.  Figure  40  shows  the  construction.  The 
cage  is  merely  a  framework  with  handles,  and  has  no  top 
or  bottom.  It  is  carried  by  uniformed  attendants,  clowns  or 
comic  characters.  Paint  and  decorate  according  to  taste  and 
materials  available.    Make  cages  for  the  Bear,  Lion  and  Monkey. 


AMBULANCE 

The   frame   of   the    circus    ambulance   is    made    of         in.    x 
2  in.  scantlings,  as  shown  in  Figure  41. 


The  height  of  the 


Figure  41 
framework  for  ambulance 

uprights  will  be  governed  by  the  size  of  the  two  boys  who  are 
to  carry  it.  A  dummy  steering  wheel  is  attached  as  shown  in 
the  drawing.  The  driver  and  his  assistant  carry  the  ambulance 
by  means  of  shoulder  straps  fastened  to  the  inside.  Handles 
also  may  be  attached  to  the  side  strips  for  the  rear  assistant 
to  take  up  part  of  the  shoulder  weight.  Use  white  muslin  for 
covering.  Old  lanterns  may  be  hung  on  the  front  corners  for 
headlights,  a  big  gong  may  be  attached,  and  any  other  equip- 
ment may  be  added  that  strikes  the  fancy  of  the  makers.     The 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


51 


Figure  42 
ambulance  complete 


wheels  are  simply  painted  on  the  covering.  The  ambulance 
complete  will  appear  as  in  Figure  42,  which  offers  suggestions 
for  painting  and  decorating. 


SPEAR 


The  animal  attendants'  spears  are  made  entirely  of  wood. 
The  spear  head  can  be  made  of  thin  box  material,  cut  to  shape, 


Figure  43 
spear  for  animal  attendant 


and  painted  with  aluminum  paint.  The  spear  handle  can  be 
made  of  a  1  in.  x  1  in.  strip,  rounded,  or  of  a  broom  stick  or 
hoe  handle.  The  handle  is  notched  at  one  end  to  receive  the 
head,  which  is  then  nailed  in  place,  as  in  Figure  43.  Make  a 
spear  for  each  of  the  Elephant,  Gook  and  Giraffe  attendants. 


52  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

CHARIOT 

No  act  is  more  suitable  for  a  closing  event  than  a  chariot 
race.  It  is  especially  effective  if  the  circus  is  given  in  a  tent. 
Two  chariots  will  be  needed. 

Each  is  made  from  a  soap  box,  the  top  and  one  end  being 
removed,  and  each  side  cut  to  a  curve  with  a  coping  saw  or 
key-hole  saw.  Candy  pail  tops  are  used  for  wheels.  With  a 
one-inch  bit  bore  a  hole  in  the  exact  center  of  the  candy  pail 
top.  To  prevent  the  wheel  from  breaking,  nail  two  strips  across 
the  grain  of  the  wood,  and  clinch  the  nails  on  the  other  side. 

For  an  axle,  securely  nail  a  broom  stick  across  the  bottom 
of  the  box,  extending  three  inches  beyond  either  side.  If  the 
axle  is  located  about  midway  from  front  to  back  the  chariot 
will  be  easier  to  pull.  Soap  the  ends  of  the  axle,  slip  the  wheels 
on,  and  drive  a  twelvepenny  nail  through  each  end  of  axle  to 
keep  wheels  on.  For  a  shaft,  nail  a  five-foot  strip  of  one-by- 
two  to  the  bottom  of  the  box,  and  nail  to  this  a  three-foot 
crosspiece. 

Paint  the  two  chariots  in  bright,  contrasting  colors.  Select 
small  boys  for  drivers,  and  drape  them  with  colored  cloth  in 
the  fashion  of  Roman  charioteers.  Larger  boys  act  as  horses, 
with  two  or  four  to  each  chariot.  This  crude  construction  of 
the  chariots  is  not  very  sturdy,  but  if  one  of  the  vehicles 
happens  to  break  down,  the  confusion  and  excitement  will  only 
add  to  the  fun. 

THE    CALLIOPE 

A  circus  parade  is  not  complete  without  a  calliope.  One 
can  easily  be  constructed  with  the  following  paraphernalia : 
an  old  spring  wagon  or  cart  drawn  by  a  bony  horse,  or  a  cow 
may  be  induced  to  be  the  motive  power;  a  dry  goods  box  about 
three  feet  high,  three  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  deep,  with  one 
side  removed;  an  assortment  of  tin  pipes  ranging  in  size  from 
two  feet  long  to  four  feet  long,  any  diameter  (down-spouts  cut 
to  length  and  brightened  up  with  aluminum  and  bronze  paint 
serve  the  purpose  splendidly)  ;  some  laths  or  other  thin  strips 
of  wood;  an  old  stove  or  tin  box  in  which  can  be  burned  some 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


53 


oiled  rags,  and  extended  from  this  stove,  a  stove  pipe  about  six 
feet  high ;  as  many  differently  tuned  tin  horns  as  are  available. 
The  participants  are:  a  fireman,  the  driver,  two  horn  blowers, 
and  the  calliope  player. 


Figure  44 
the  circus  calliope 


The  box  should  be  set  near  the  back  of  the  wagon,  the  open 
side  facing  the  back.  The  laths  are  nailed  in  an  upright  po- 
sition to  the  front  and  two  sides  of  the  box,  extending  the 
length  of  the  tin  pipes  above  the  top  of  the  box.  The  pipes 
are  then  slipped  over  the  laths  and  arranged  in  calliope  style ; 
the  more  pipes  the  better.  A  keyboard  is  painted  on  a  piece 
of  cardboard  or  other  thin  material  and  placed  in  a  slanting 
position  on  top  of  the  box.  The  stove,  which  is  to  act  as  the 
boiler,  is  placed  at  the  front  of  the  wagon  and  secured  to  the 
floor.  The  stove  pipe  should  be  guy-wired  to  the  sides  of  the 
wagon.  By  burning  plenty  of  oiled  rags  in  the  stove  an  ex- 
cellent smoke  can  be  created.     The  box  can  be  decorated  with 


54  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

green  and  red  paint,  which  will  add  much  to  the  effect.  The 
horn  blowers  take  their  position  inside  the  box  with  horns 
so  arranged  that  they  may  be  changed  very  quickly.  The 
calliope  player  will  signal  boys  inside  the  box  by  tapping  when 
ready  to  play.  Horn  blowers  will  start  at  once  and  strive  to 
keep  two  horns  going  as  much  of  the  time  as  possible,  avoiding 
changing  horns  at  the  same  time.  In  this  way  some  "excellent 
discords"  can  be  created.  The  fireman  will  spend  most  of  his 
time  shoveling  "coal." 

The  calliope  should  have  a  place  at  the  end  of  the  parade. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  55 


CHAPTER  FOUR 

PAINTING    AND    DECORATING 

The  sketches  and  photographs  accompanying  the  animal 
descriptions  give  suggestions  for  painting  and  decorating. 
The  job  must  be  fairly  well  done,  and  if  your  artist  is  inex- 
perienced it  is   very   advisable  to   practice   on   waste  material. 

Take  considerable  pains  with  the  facial  expressions,  for 
they  give  personality  to  the  animals  and  comedy  to  the  circus. 
Remember  that  contrast  is  the  keynote.  The  eyes  are  painted 
white,  and  circled  with  a  black  line.  Use  a  black  spot  or  slit 
for  the  pupil  of  the  eye.  Crossed-eye  effects  are  produced  by 
varying  the  location  of  the  pupils.  The  spots  on  the  Gook 
and  the  Giraffe  are  made  to  stand  out  clearly  by  outlining 
them  in  black.  The  body  color  of  all  animals  covered  with 
burlap  is  left  the  natural  burlap  color. 

Paint  the  cages,  floats,  and  calliope  in  bright  colors.  Red 
and  yellow  are  good  circus  colors.  Gold  and  silver  decora- 
tions are  good  if  not  overdone. 

Either  oil  or  water  colors  may  be  used,  but  not  both  on 
the  same  job.  Water  colors  are  cheaper,  easier  to  mix  and 
easier  to  apply,  but  they  are  not  permanent,  and  will  run  if 
they  get  wet.  Oil  colors  are  best,  but  are  slow  drying,  more 
expensive,  and  harder  to  apply. 

For  oil  colors  mix  dry  colors,  or  colors  ground  in  oil,  with 
glossoil  thinned  with  benzine,  or  with  equal  parts  of  linseed 
oil  and  Japan  dryer.  The  following  oil  colors  have  been  found 
most  satisfactory  for  this  work:  vermilion  red,  chrome  yellow, 
ultramarine  blue,  mineral  white  and  drop  black.  Orange, 
green,  and  purple  may  be  made  by  mixing  the  above  colors. 
The  colors  may  be  purchased  dry  or  ground  in  oil. 

For  water  colors  mix  whiting  with  water  to  the  consistency 
of  cream.  Color  with  dry  colors,  using  any  of  the  above  ex- 
cepting drop  black.  For  black,  use  water  color  black.  Glue 
must  be  added  to  water  colors  as  a  binder.     Use  ground  glue 


56  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

mixed  with  warm  water  and  pour  into  the  paint  when  the  glue 
is  completely  dissolved. 

Gold  and  silver  bronzes  may  be  bought  in  powdered  form 
and  mixed  with  banana  oil,  or  in  packages  ready  for  use. 

Calcimine  and  patent  wall  finishes  are  satisfactory  when 
used  according  to  directions. 

Oil  or  Japan  colors  may  be  purchased  ready  mixed,  if  de- 
sired, at  a  good  paint  store,  in  cans  of  various  sizes.  Japan 
colors  dry  very  quickly. 

The  average  paint  store  can  supply  water  colors  also  in  dry 
form  in  a  great  variety  of  colors. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  57 


CHAPTER  FIVE 

TO  THE  CLOWN  AND  COMIC  CHARACTER  MASTER 

Boys  and  girls,  men  and  women — everyone  loves  a  mas- 
querade! An  ordinarily  quiet,  mild-mannered  boy  becomes  a 
rough  and  tumble  fun-maker  when  equipped  with  outlandish 
clothes  and  grotesque  make-up.  A  sprightly  maiden  may  be- 
come a  fat  squaw  when  robed  in  a  table  cloth,  rug  or  blanket. 
Bedroom  slippers  will  do  for  moccasins.  A  modern  Pocahontas 
requires  only  a  brown  calico  dress,  a  girdle,  bedroom  slippers, 
and  a  single  feather  attached  to  a  band  around  her  head.  Boys' 
Indian  suits  are  common  everywhere,  and  chicken  feathers  com- 
plete the  outfit. 

Paper  patterns  for  making  clown  suits  and  Indian  costumes 
in  different  sizes  may  be  had  from  the  various  dress-pattern 
companies,  or  at  most  dry  goods  stores. 

J^_downsJ_a_iQO.se-legged  Yama-Yama  sui^s^  the  most^ 
common  clown  costume.  One  can  be  made  from  mother's  old 
blue  wrapper,  by  splitting  it  up  the  front  and  the  back,  sewing 
it  up  to  form  legs,  and  gathering  at  the  ankles  with  gay  ribbons 
or  cloth.  A  small  paper  hat,  size  twelve  shoes  painted  white, 
^auda  huge  tie,  constitute  a  good  clown  make-up.  White  skull 
caps  add  to  the  effect. 

JTJie,  Rube  is  a  necessary  character  for  every  circus.  With 
real  alfalfa  on  his  chin,  or  a  theatrical  chin  beard,  and  hay  on 
his  clothes,  with  overalls  stuck  in  high  boots,  a  large  straw 
hat  and  frock  coat,  he  is  the  butt  of  the  clown's  jokes. 

The  Policeman  can  be  got  up  in  village  constable  style,  with 
boots,  overalls,  large  felt  hat  and  a  tin  star.  Or  he  may  bur- 
lesque the  uniformed  police  of  the  larger  cities. 

Hoboes  in  variety  afford  easy  make-ups,  and  are  always 
lots  of  fun. 

Brownies  are  always  good  with  the  little  people.  The 
costume  is  made  after  the  pattern  of  a  sleeping  garment,  with 
feet  and  hood  attached,  and  padded  where  necessary. 


58 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


m 


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w 

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A 

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fc 

1*1 

H 

AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  59 

Newspaper  comics,  familiar  to  the  public  at  large,  need  no 
description  here,  and  are  always  popular. 

Boys  enjoy  dressing  up  in  girls'  costumes,  burlesquing  the 
extreme  styles  and  putting  on  plenty  of  paint  and  powder. 

In  short,  there  is  no  end  to  the  variety  of  ideas  that  can  be 
worked  up  easily  and  effectively  for  the  clowns  and  comic 
characters. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


61 


CHAPTER  SIX 


TO    THE    SIDE    SHOW    MANAGER 

Give  considerable  time  and  attention  to  the  side  shows,  foi 
they  will  be  a  material  help  financially.  If  possible,  place  them 
so  that  the  audience  must  pass  them  to  reach  the  "big  tent." 
If  the  side  shows  take  well,  it  may  be  wise  to  delay  the  gen- 
eral performance. 

Following  are  suggestions  for  side  shows  which  have  proven 
successful : 


'JS^~~?<*&M     ] 


Figure  46 
tattooed  men,  wild  men  and  ringmaster 


Wjjrl  Man  JUnn  in  brown  or  black  tights  covered  with 
black  raffia  girdle.  Fuzzy  black  wig.  Face  and  exposed  body 
brown  grease  paint  or  minstrel  black.  Cistern  chains  fastened 
to  legs.  Eats  dirt  (ground  chocolate  and  oatmeal).  Smears 
face  and  hands  with  the  mixture,  but  eats  very  little.  See  Fig- 
ure 46. 

The  Hawaiian  Beauties.     Raffia-covered  Mother  Hubbard. 


62 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Wig  with  very  long,  fuzzy  black  hair.  Ear-rings,  bracelets 
and  beads.  Face  made  up  with  brown  grease  paint.  See  Fig- 
ure 45. 

Snake  Charmer.  Gaudy  tinseled  dress.  Bare  arms  and 
neck.  Hair  done  in  a  coil.  For  snakes,  stuff  oilcloth  casings 
and  color  them  to  resemble  diamond  rattlers,  pythons  and 
other  poisonous  snakes.  Attach  several  baby  rattles  to  tail. 
See  Figure  45. 

$25,000  Beauty.  A  scrawny,  bandy-legged,  hollow-chested, 
loose-jointed    youth.     Gaudy    jewelry.     Many    beauty    spots. 


Figure  47 
girl  clowns  are  always  a  good  feature 


Costume,  a  caricature  on  present  styles.  Picture  hat  and  short 
veil.     Short  white  gloves  and  exposed  red  arms. 

Madame  Fatima.     Girl  dressed  in  Oriental  costume. 

Fat  Man.  Fattest  youth  obtainable,  dressed  in  tight-fitting 
bathing  suit. 

Tattooed  Man.  Boy  in  abbreviated  costume.  Exposed 
parts  of  body  grease-painted  with  cubes,  squares,  circles,  tri- 
angles, and  other  geometrical  designs.     See  Figure  46. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  63 

Fortune  Teller.  Girl  in  Gypsy  costume.  A  table  inside 
the  booth  can  be  arranged  with  two  metal  plates  on  top  con- 
nected with  an  induction  coil.  Victims  place  their  hands  on 
the  metal  plates  and  "Fortune  Teller"  operates  switch  with 
foot.  A  slight  shock  and  many  screams  will  result.  If  the 
booth  is  lighted  with  a  dim  light,  plates  are  not  noticeable. 
Green  and  red  lights  are  effective.     See  Figure  45. 

Incubator  Babies.  Long  lean  boys,  short  fat  boys,  and  all 
kinds  of  boys,  reclining  in  nightgowns  on  cots  attended  by 
nurse  girls.     Rattles,  pacifiers,  bottles  and  toys  in  abundance. 

The  Beauty  Chorus.  "Rings  given  free  with  each  ad- 
mission." A  quartet  of  pretty  girls  singing  popular  songs. 
A  gong  or  electric  push  button  will  furnish  the  rings. 

Negro  Minstrels.     A  male  quartet  in  minstrel  attire. 

The  January  Ground  Hog.     Some  pork  sausage. 

The  Swimming  Match.  Several  matches  floating  on  a  basin 
of  water. 

The  Grave  Diggers.     A  pick  and  a  shovel. 

Red  Bats.     A  few  broken  bricks. 

The  Monkey  Cage.  A  large  mirror  seen  immediately  on 
entering. 

Joseph's  Coat  of  Many  Colors.  A  highly  colored  mackinaw 
jacket. 

Burst  a  Balloon.  Have  ordinary  rubber  balloons ;  these 
can  be  bought  at  a  reasonable  price  in  lots  of  one  dozen  or 
more.  The  person  buying  a  balloon  blows  it  up  until  it  bursts. 
They  can  be  sold  by  the  venders  or  in  a  booth. 

The  Midget.  The  operator  is  screened  by  a  dark  curtain 
through  which  his  head  and  arms  extend.  The  operator's  arms 
form  the  Midget's  feet,  shoes  being  put  over  the  hands,  and  a 
pair  of  trousers  made  for  the  purpose,  over  the  arms.  These 
"feet"  rest  on  a  shelf  or  table.  The  body  is  made  by  stuffing 
a  small  shirt  and  coat  and  arranging  it  on  the  curtain.  Stuffed 
gloves  sewed  to  the  ends  of  the  sleeves  are  used  for  hands. 
This  can  be  made  very  funny,  especially  if  the  operator  has 
taken  some  pains  in  practicing  to  imitate  the  modern  dances. 
It  can  be  made  still  funnier  if  a  second  operator  puts  his  arms 
through  the  curtain   into  the  coat  sleeves   and  uses  them  for 


64 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


gestures,  as  in  Figure  49.  The  whole  thing  should  be  roped 
off  so  that  spectators  may  not  come  nearer  to  the  Midget  than 
three  or  four  feet. 


Figure  48 
the  siamese  twins 


Siamese  Trains-  Two  boys  in  a  special  pair  of  three-legged 
overalls,  as  shown  in  Figure  48. 

Punch  and  Judy.  This  is  an  arrangement  similar  to  that 
of  the  Midget,  except  that  the  operator's  head  does  not  come 
through  the  curtain.  His  elbows  rest  on  the  table.  A  small 
doll  head  is  held  in  each  of  the  operator's  hands,  and  his  fore- 
arms are  dressed  to  represent  Punch  and  Judy.  If  the  operator 
is  a  ventriloquist  he  can  add  quite  a  bit  of  humor. 

The  Periscope.  A  length  of  stovepipe  and  elbow  has  a 
looking   glass   so    arranged   in    elbow  that   the   spectator   sees 

himself. 

Silhouette  Artist.  Anyone  handy  with  a  pair  of  scissors 
or  pen  knife  can  make  attempts  at  cutting  silhouettes.  A  like- 
ness is  not  expected. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


65 


Tattoo  Artist.  A  few  geometrical 
designs  painted  on  the  back  of  the  spec- 
tator's hand  will  satisfy  him. 

Princess  Kanjmar.  She  reveals 
your  future  by  the  aid  of  cards.  This 
is  different  from  the  "Fortune  Teller" 
in  that  cards  are  used.  As  the  Princess 
usually  knows  her  victims,  she  can  relate 
familiar  situations. 

Zorabead  of  Kolabar.  Another 
fortune  teller.  This  one  finds  your  for- 
tune in  the  desert  sands  of  Zullaballu 
(a  box  of  sand  in  which  are  buried  a  number  of  tightly  rolled 
pieces  of  paper).  The  fortunes  are  written  on  these  pieces  of 
paper  in  "Hieroglyphics,"  and  he  is  lucky  who  is  able  to  de- 
cipher them. 

The  Museum  of  Curiosities.  A  side  show  is  not  complete 
without  its  collection  of  fossils,  bones,  antiques,  old  prints  and 
other  objects  of  curiosity  with  which  every  one  is  familiar. 
One  could  also  combine  with  this  the  January  Ground  Hog,  the 


66  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

Swimming  Match,  the  Grave  Diggers,  the  Red  Bats  from  Aus- 
tralia and  the  Coat  of  Many  Colors. 

The  Congress  of  Freaks.  Some  of  the  features  referred  to 
before  as  the  Fat  Man,  the  Siamese  Twins,  the  Tattooed  Man, 
Samson,  and  the  Bearded  Lady  may  be  combined  and  placed 
in  one  booth. 

The  Hall  of  Hilarity.  The  entrance  to  this  booth  is  made 
very  narrow.  Upon  entering,  one  walks  up  an  incline  (the 
springing  board  from  the  gymnasium).  Upon  reaching  the 
top  of  the  incline  one  is  forced  to  jump  off.  Several  soap  boxes 
are  nailed  to  the  floor  at  different  places,  over  which  one  must 
climb.  The  interior  being  very  dark,  one  does  not  know  what 
to  expect  next.  The  passage  way  is  very  narrow  and  finally 
leads  out  on  the  other  side.  At  one  place  in  the  passage  way 
an  overhead  electric  fan  makes  it  necessary  for  everybody  to 
hold  on  to  their  hats.  At  another  place  one  mounts  three  or 
four  rocky  steps  and  descends  on  the  other  side,  then  over  three 
or  more  soap  boxes,  through  a  large  flat  box  filled  with  sand 
or  other  gritty  material.  At  various  places  broomsticks  on 
the  floor  make  walking  very  difficult. 

The  Shadow  Show,  or  Moving  Pictures.  A  white  curtain, 
preferably  a  bed  sheet,  is  hung  and  stretched  at  one  end  of 
the  booth.  A  strong  light  shines  directly  on  this  sheet  from 
behind.  The  performers  work  between  the  sheet  and  the  light. 
A  shadow  is  cast  on  the  sheet  and  this  is  visible  to  the  spec- 
tators in  front.  A  short  sketch  can  be  worked  out  by  two  or 
three  performers.  Various  motion  picture  stars  might  also  be 
imitated. 

For  Men  Only.  An  exhibit  of  coats,  trousers,  shirts,  and 
other  strictly  masculine  attire. 

Professor  Swindler,  the  Man  of  Magic.  The  magician  who 
takes  part  in  the  ring  performance  can  also  handle  this  part 
in  the  side  show.  He  gives  several  burlesque  magic  stunts. 
For  this  side  show  a  small  platform  should  be  built,  about  two 
feet  above  the  floor.  A  black  curtain  is  stretched  across  the 
back  of  this  platform  and  extends  a  few  feet  to  the  front  on 
either  side.     It  is   so  arranged  that  the  audience  can  see  the 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  67 

show  from  the  front  of  the  platform  only.    The  following  stunts 
have  been  used  very  successfully. 

Tlie  disappearing  trick :  The  magician  disappears  articles 
by  making  a  few  magical  passes  over  them  and  quickly  handing 
them  to  assistant  behind  the  curtain.  The  curtain  has  a  lapped 
slit  in  it  near  the  center.  After  magician  "disappears"  all 
articles,  the  assistant  reaches  out  at  arm's  length  for  more, 
in  plain  sight  of  audience. 

Turning  glass  of  water  into  a  man:  The  assistant  comes 
forth  holding  a  glass  of  water.  Magician  tells  the  audience 
he  will  now  turn  the  glass  of  water  into  a  man.  Assistant 
drinks  the  glass  of  water  and  exits. 

The  water  and  wine  trick :  The  chemicals  for  this  trick  can 
be  purchased  at  a  drug  store.  Get  five  cents  worth  each  of 
tannic  acid,  oxalic  acid  and  tincture  of  iron.  Into  a  pint  pitcher 
of  water  put  a  half  teaspoonful  of  tannic  acid,  mixing  it  well. 
Then  prepare  four  wine  glasses  as  follows.  First  glass,  empty ; 
second  glass,  put  in  a  few  drops  of  tincture  of  iron ;  third 
glass,  put  in  a  few  drops  of  oxalic  acid  (dissolve  in  water  be- 
fore using)  ;  fourth  glass,  put  in  a  few  drops  of  tincture  of 
iron. 

Arrange  the  glasses  on  tray  so  that  you  will  know  what 
chemicals  each  contains.  All  of  this  preparation  is  done  be- 
fore showing  the  trick. 

You  are  now  ready  to  perform  the  trick.  Assistant  brings 
tray  with  glasses  and  pitcher  of  prepared  water.  Announce 
to  the  audience  that  you  can  pour  either  water  or  wine  from  the 
pitcher,  at  your  command.  Then  proceed.  Glass  1  will  be 
clear  water,  glass  2  will  contain  "wine,"  glass  3  will  be  clear, 
and  glass  -i  will  be  "wine."     Fill  glasses  half  full  only. 

Now  mix  glasses  1  and  2  and  both  will  be  wine.  Mix  glasses 
3  and  4  and  both  will  be  clear. 

Hold  one  glass  in  the  right  hand  and  one  in  the  left  hand, 
pour  from  glass  in  right  hand  to  glass  in  left  hand  and  divide 
them  equally,  so  that  each  glass  will  be  half  full. 

Pour  into  the  pitcher  glasses  1  and  2  and  the  result  will  be 
a  pitcher  of  wine.  To  change  the  wine  back  to  clear  water 
pour  into  the  pitcher  the  contents  of  glasses  3  and  4.     The 


68  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

oxalic  acid  is  poisonous  and  proper  precautions  should  there- 
fore be  taken. 

This  is  a  very  old  trick  having  been  used  by  nearly  every 
magician  on  record,  and  will  therefore  take  well  as  burlesque 
magic. 

The  floating  body :  The  assistant  lies  down  on  a  cot  or 
box  and  is  covered,  all  but  his  head  and  feet.  He  is  then  "hyp- 
notized" by  the  magician,  and  falls  asleep.  Through  the 
wonderful  hypnotic  power  of  the  magician,  the  sleeping  form 
gradually  rises  and  moves  slowly  to  the  front  of  the  platform. 

This  trick  is  very  easily  performed.  A  pair  of  dummy  feet, 
made  by  attaching  shoes  to  the  ends  of  broomsticks,  are  con- 
cealed under  the  cover.  The  assistant  manipulates  these  dummy 
feet,  sticks  them  out  at  the  end  of  the  cover,  and  draws  his 
own  feet  back.  While  the  magician  makes  his  hypnotic  passes 
the  assistant  rises  by  gradually  working  his  feet  off  the  cot  to 
floor,  holding  "feet"  horizontally  by  the  broomsticks  sup- 
ported under  his  armpits,  the  cloth  now  being  supported  by 
the  broomsticks.  The  cloth  is  long  enough  to  reach  to  the 
floor  on  both  sides  when  assistant  stands  at  full  height.  After 
he  has  worked  his  way  to  the  front  of  the  platform  the  ma- 
gician removes  the  cloth,  leaving  the  assistant  standing  with 
outstretched  dummy  legs  to  the  continued  amazement  of  the 
audience. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


69 


CHAPTER   SEVEN 


TO  THE  CLOWN  BAND  LEADER 

In  selecting  your  band  members,  take  advantage  of  any 
talent  that  might  present  itself.  Ten  or  twelve  usually  make 
the  ideal  band.  If  you  have  the  material  a  girls'  band  will 
make  a  hit.  Of  course  no  attempt  is  made  to  carry  a  tune,  a 
burlesque  on  one  being  more  in  keeping  with  the  circus.     The 


■%—/ 


Figuue  50 
a  typical  amateur  circus  clown  band 


more  noise  and  discord,  the  better,  an  effort  being  made  only 
to  keep  time  for  the  marches  and  dances.  Trombones  are  es- 
pecially good.  Have  plenty  of  drums  and  cymbals.  Kettle 
covers  make  good  cymbals.  Toy  band  instruments  which  are 
sung  into  instead  of  being  actually  played  will  be  effective  in 
both  noise  and  appearance.  Such  instruments  can  be  obtained 
from  any  dealer  in  musical  instruments.     If  he  does  not  carry 


70  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

them  in  stock  he  can  order  them  from  his  supply  house.  Addi- 
tional trick  instruments  can  be  made  by  attaching  the  song- 
vibrators  of  such  instruments  to  odd  and  comic  utensils.  For 
example,  a  dummy  French  horn  can  be  made  with  a  piece  of 
garden  hose  by  attaching  a  funnel  to  one  end  and  a  mouth- 
piece to  the  other  end. 

Select  an  active  leader  who  can  keep  time  in  band  leader 
style.  Have  him  burlesque  the  popular  conception  of  a  band 
leader's  antics.  A  good  snare  drummer  will  add  much  to  the 
effect  by  playing  a  roll  of  increasing  volume  while  such  stunts 
as  weight  lifting,  rope  walking,  etc.,  are  being  performed,  end- 
ing with  a  crash  of  drums  and  a  "royal  blare"  from  all  horns. 
Solos  and  duets  are  especially-  effective.  The  soloist  toots  dis- 
cords until  tired,  when  the  whole  band  relieves  him  momen- 
tarily. Repeat.  The  band  leader  is  favored  with  a  bouquet 
of  onions  and  weeds.     He  bows  and  smiles  profusely. 

Little  rehearsing  is  necessary.  Since  the  "musicians"  will 
not  have  much  to  do  except  to  secure  their  instruments  and 
"noisy"  costumes,  they  can  be  used  to  construct  booths,  cages, 
animals  and  other  equipment. 

Besides  the  noise  furnished  by  the  Circus  Clown  Band  there ' 
should  be  some  real  music  during  the  performance.  If  possible, 
music  should  be  going  on  during  the  entire  performance.  It 
will  liven  up  things  and  give  the  entertainment  more  of  a 
circus  atmosphere.  If  a  real  band  is  not  available,  a  piano  or 
even  a  phonograph  will  answer. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


71 


CHAPTER  EIGHT 


ABOUT    GREASE    PAINTS 


Do  not  apply  ordinary  paint  or  pigments  of  unknown 
chemical  nature  to  the  skin.  Use  theatrical  grease  paints  and 
make-up  material  of  some  standard  brand  that  is  known  to  be 
pure  and  harmless.  Have  a  big  sheet  of  cheese  cloth  to  throw 
over  the  shoulders  of  the  boy  or  girl  while  being  made  up,  to 
protect  the  costume  from  grease  and  powder. 


S/ave-pp 


Skull f 

Cap' 


Clocan  has 
fied  Eye-brows 
£lackon£yes 
AedJfose 
£  lack  lips 


White  'l 


Ihper/fose 


/fair  and  IVAlsAersansJ/ay 
fastened  on  wd/i  Adhesive 


Figure  51 
some  handy  suggestions  for  make-up 


Before  applying  grease  paint  a  light  application  of  cold 
cream  should  be  rubbed  thoroughly  into  the  face  and  the  sur- 
plus removed  with  a  clean  rag.  This  makes  it  easier  to  remove 
the  grease  paint,  which  will  come  off  by  rubbing  with  cold 
cream  and  removing  with  a  cloth.  Cocoa  butter,  which  comes 
in  cakes,  may  be  used  instead  of  cold  cream. 

For  each  character,  such  as  Gypsies,  Indians,  sunburnt  com- 


72  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

plexions,  etc.,  use  a  stick  of  grease  paint  of  the  desired  tint. 
It  is  well  to  finish  the  make-up  with  an  application  of  theatri- 
cal blending  powder  over  the  grease  paint,  put  on  with  a  puff. 
The  powder  hides  the  oily  appearance  of  the  grease  paint.  It 
can  be  had  in  various  tints. 

For  the  Clowns,  use  clown  white,  which  needs  no  cold  cream 
base.  Rub  it  thickly  and  evenly  on  the  face  and  neck  and  in- 
side the  ears,  then  dust  with  white  (not  flesh)  face  powder. 
Crescents,  spots,  stripes  and  triangles  are  made  with  red  or 
black  lining  pencil.  The  lips  may  or  may  not  be  rouged,  just 
as  preferred.  The  clown  wig,  whether  it  be  a  plain  white  skull 
wig  or  with  colored  bobs,  is  adjusted  and  the  edges  blended 
with  white  grease  paint  to  conceal  the  juncture  with  the  face. 

For  Indians  and  similar  complexions,  use  Number  Seventeen 
grease  paint.  A  carmine  stick  may  be  used  to  blend  the  high 
lights.  Indians'  wigs  are  effective,  but  if  their  cost  is  prohibi- 
tive head  bands  with  feathers  can  be  easily  arranged,  and  will 
answer  the  purpose.  Red,  yellow  and  black  are  used  for  "war 
paint." 

For  a  sunburnt  character  such  as  fhp  "R.nhp.  use  Number 
Seven  grease  paint.  For  Gypsies,  use  Number  Fourteen.  For 
Chinese,  use  Number  Sixteen. 

For  the  negroes  and  the  African  attendants  of  the  animals, 
use  minstrel  black.  Professionals  apply  this  directly  to  the 
skin  and  remove  it  with  soap  and  water,  but  amateurs  some- 
times lack  the  knack  of  "cleaning  up"  easily,  and  cold  cream 
or  cocoa  butter  may  therefore  be  used. 

Minstrel  black  is  so  inexpensive  that  it  is  not  worth  while 
to  try  to  make  home-made  burnt  cork  make-up.  When  fresh 
it  can  be  applied  as  it  comes  from  the  box.  Sometimes  it  is 
well  to  mix  with  a  little  water  to  soften  it.  Apply  thoroughly 
to  face,  ears,  neck,  hands  and  forearms.  Leave  large  mouths 
for  comic  negroes,  but  do  not  redden  them.  Use  a  negro  wig, 
or  cover  the  head  with  a  hat  or  turban. 

In  making  beards,  professionals  often  use  crepe  hair,  but 
amateurs  will  generally  find  it  much  more  convenient  to  use 
ready-made  false  beards,  mustaches,  etc.  Spirit  gum  is  used 
to  attach  the  false  hair  or  beard  to  the  face. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


73 


Materials  needed  will  depend  upon  the  types  and  number 
of  characters  in  jour  circus,  but  the  following  list  of  make-up 
goods  is  suggested  if  you  pur- 
chase the  items  individually: 

One  stick  each  of  natural 
flesh  (No.  3),  deep  sunburnt 
(No.  7),  Gypsy  (No.  14),  Chi- 
nese (No.  16),  and  Indian  (No. 
17)  grease  paint;  one  lining 
pencil  each  of  black,  brown, 
crimson  and  white ;  one  box  of 
clown  white  ;  one  box  of  minstrel 
black ;  one  box  each  of  healthy 
sunburn  (No.  7),  Indian  (No. 
17)  and  white  (No.  1)  theatri- 
cal blending  powder ;  a  tube  of 
cold  cream  or  a  cake  of  cocoa 
butter ;  a  quarter-yard  of  crepe  ^J 
hair  or  several  assorted  beards 
and  mustaches  on  gauze;  a 
bottle  of  spirit  gum,  a  stick  of 
nose  putty,  and  several  wool 
powder  puffs. 

If  a  considerable  variety  of 
make-up  material  is  necessary, 
it  may  prove  an  economy  to 
purchase  a  theatrical  make-up 
box  already  equipped  with  a 
good  assortment  of  grease 
paints,  powders  and  other  ac- 
cessories- 


Figure  52 


THE    BOYS    LIKE    TO    "DOLL,    UP 


74 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


75 


CHAPTER  NINE 

THE    PARADE 


By  all  means  have  a  parade.  It  is  the  distinguishing  fea- 
ture of  the  circus.  It  not  only  gives  every  member  of  the  circus 
an  equal  chance  to  do  his  stunt  before  the  people  but  also  offers 
a   wonderful   opportunity  to   advertise  the  show. 


Figure  54 
here  come  the  clowns,  with  their  very  own  band 

Have  plenty  of  march  music.  The  town  band  might  be  in- 
duced to  furnish  the  better  music  for  the  parade. 

Get  all  the  live  horses  available.  The  authors  have  found 
that  the  girls  particularly  like  to  ride  the  horses  in  their  cow- 
girl and  squaw  make-ups.  In  one  case  this  idea  was  suggested 
to  a  young  lady,  and  within  a  few  days  there  were  from  fifteen 
to  twenty  entries  in  that  section  of  the  parade.  Donkeys, 
ponies  and  other  pet  animals  are  also  desirable. 


76  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

Where  necessary  to  defray  incidental  expenses,  advertising 
space  on  banners  to  be  carried  in  the  parade  may  be  sold  to 
local  business  houses,  if  such  solicitation  is  not  objected  to  by 
the  local  merchants.  Banners  giving  place,  time  and  admis- 
sion price   of  the  performance  should  be  carried  in   any  case. 

Be  sure  to  have  your  ticket  sellers  canvass  the  onlookers 
during  the  parade.     It  will  be  a  good  time  to  sell  tickets. 

Any  one  of  the  department  managers  may  take  charge  of 
the  parade.  He  may  appoint  a  Parade  Marshal  who  shall 
have  complete  charge  of  the  routing  and  arrangement  of  the 
parade. 

SUGGESTED   ORDER   OF    PARADE 

1.  Parade  Marshal 

2.  Ringmaster. 

3.  Circus  Ponies. 

4.  Town  Band  if  available.     If  not.  then  circus  clown  band. 

5.  Ostrich  with  attendant. 

6.  Pyramid  builders. 

7.  Bear  in  cage.     Cubs  following. 

8.  High  School  Cadets. 

9.  Monkeys  in  cage. 

10.  Wild  West  feature.     Indians  and  Cowboys. 

11.  Lion  in  cage. 

12.  Girl  clowns. 

13.  Gook  with  attendant. 

14.  Circus  Clown  Band  if  not  already  used. 

15.  Giraffe  with  attendant. 

16.  Clowns  and  comic  characters. 

17.  Circus  ambulance. 

18.  Elephant  with  attendant. 

19.  Volunteered  features  not  otherwise  usable.     (Ponies,  don- 

keys, goats,  coasters,  autos,  pet  animals  in  small  cages 
or  in  coops  on  wagons.) 

20.  Calliope. 

Banners   are   to  be  interspersed  throughout  whole  parade. 

Clowns  and  comic  characters  may  be  used  to  carry  the  cages. 

The  participants  should  not  crowd  close  together.     There 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  77 

should  be  at  least  eight  to  ten  feet  between  them.  They  should 
go  slowly,  pay  no  attention  to  the  onlookers,  turn  square 
corners  and  keep  the  line  straight.  The  dignified  behavior 
of  the  parade  marshal  and  drum  major  will  add  much  to  the 
circus  atmosphere.  The  band  should  play  very  often,  though 
not  long  at  a  time.  The  drums  should  beat  time  during  the 
entire  parade. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  79 


CHAPTER  TEN 

DETAILS    OF    PERFORMANCE 

Clown  stunts,  animal  acts  and  "thrillers"  which  comprise 
the  program  are  here  outlined.  Many  other  ideas  will  doubtless 
suggest  themselves,  but  enough  are  described  for  a  complete 
show. 

SUGGESTIONS    FOR    CLOWN    STUNTS 

Clown  Dance.  Clowns  enter  running,  raising  knees  high, 
and  form  single  file.  (1)  Holding  hands,  bow  in  time,  one, 
two,  three,  four,  for  sixteen  counts.  (2)  Holding  hands,  arms 
forward  and  upward,  one,  two,  three,  four,  for  sixteen  counts. 
(3)  Holding  hands,  arms  upward  and  bending  forward,  arms 
backward  (slow  count)  one,  two,  three,  four,  for  sixteen  counts. 

Another  Clown  Dance.  Clowns  march  in  lock  step  to  drum 
beat  and  form  line  facing  audience.  At  signal  from  clown 
master,  drum  stops  and  all  drop  hands  with  fingers  outspread 
and  silly  expressions  on  faces.  Drum  beats  the  following  time, 
one  and,  two  and,  one,  two,  three,  four,  beating  on  numbers 
and  resting  on  "and."  At  "one"  all  clowns  hop  straight  up, 
alighting  with  left  foot  far  forward  and  right  foot  far  back, 
only  the  heel  of  the  left  foot  touching  the  floor.  Rest  on  "and." 
At  "two"  all  hop  again,  this  time  alighting  with  right  foot 
forward.  Rest  on  "and."  The  motions  are  repeated  on  each 
count  of  one,  two,  three,  four,  when  band  joins  in,  the  drum 
continuing  the  same  time,  the  clowns  turning  to  the  left  on 
count  "four,"  hippety-hop  around  ring  to  front,  and  back  to 
original  position.  Band  stops  and  drum  repeats  beat  as  at 
first.  This  time,  instead  of  holding  arms  at  sides,  clowns  swing 
them  backward  and  forward  keeping  time  with  legs.  At  count 
"four"  they  turn  to  left,  hop  around  ring,  and  return  to  front, 
this  time  with  backs  to  audience.  They  bend  over,  putting 
hands  on  floor,  and  go  through  same  motions  with  feet  as 
before.  At  "four"  all  turn  to  left,  and,  placing  hands  on  hips 
of  clown  in  front,  skip  out  of  ring. 


80  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

PANTOMIME    FUN    AND    NONSENSE 

A  very  fat  clown  carries  and  beats  the  drum.  Another 
clown  toots  a  horn.  The  drum  keeps  time  while  the  horn 
renders  hideous  solos  in  time,  out  of  time,  or  any  old  time. 
The  clowns  enter  in  single  file,  drum  first,  then  horn,  followed 
by  all  clowns  and  the  rube.  All  line  up  facing  audience.  The 
music  dwindles  away  and  the  clowns  develop  stage  fright.  They 
stand  awkwardly  and  look  silly.  They  make  several  false  starts, 
— first  one,  then  another — to  give  a  comic  dance. 

The  fat  drummer,  stepping  backward,  trips  and  falls,  drum 
on  top.  He  kicks  and  howls  and  attempts  to  rise.  To  quiet 
the  noise  one  of  the  clowns  sits  on  his  head,  and  others  hold 
his  feet  and  arms.  After  a  short  interval  he  is  released  and 
lies  very  quietly.  Clowns  gather  around,  very  much  puzzled. 
They  debate  on  what  to  do  with  him.  They  look  at  his  tongue, 
listen  to  his  heart  (in  his  stomach),  and  attempt  to  haul  him 
away.  One  clown  has  an  inspiration ;  he  produces  large  bottle 
and  gives  "dead  man"  a  draught.  Clown  comes  to  life  sud- 
denly and  bottle  has  to  be  forcibly  taken  away  from  him.  By 
much  effort  he  is  got  on  to  his  feet  and  straightway  beats  drum 
while  clowns  have  a  joy  dance. 

In  time  with  the  music,  first  one,  then  another,  jumps 
straight  up.  The  time  is  "one  and,  two  and,  one,  two,  three," 
beating  on  numbers  and  resting  on  "and."  A  clown  jumps  with 
each  beat  of  the  drum.  The  time  is  dreadfully  slow,  and  the 
horn  dismal.  Time  gradually  quickens  and  clowns  vary  the 
dance,  each  dancing  in  a  different  style.  The  popular  dances 
are  burlesqued  and  grotesque  dance  steps  introduced.  First 
one,  then  another,  leaves  the  stage  until  only  the  drummer  is 
left.     He  is  sent  off  by  the  Ringmaster. 

INDIVIDUAL    CLOWN    STUNTS 

The  following  stunts  can  be  interspersed  throughout  the 
whole  performance.  They  are  especially  effective  between  acts, 
and  can  be  used  to  fill  in. 

Clown  Jitney.  Clown  with  auto  lamps  fastened  to  arms 
blowing  auto  horn  with  one  hand.     Smoke  pouring  out  of  back 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


81 


from  under  his  coat.    Sign  painted  "Jitney"  hangs  on  his  back. 

Wild  Dos:.  Clown  leads  a  very  small  dog  by  a  large  chain. 
Chain  can  be  made  of  wood  or  heavy  rope,  painted  black. 

Why  Men  Leave  Home.  Clown  carrying  wash-tub.  Shoul- 
der straps  are  attached  to  tub.  Rubbing  board  in  tub.  Busi- 
ness with  rubbing  board. 


Figure  55 
uncle  josh  and  his  corn-fed  baby 

The  Walkin g  Bed.  Two  clowns,  apparently  lying  in  bed. 
The  bed  is  on  wheels,  or  it  may  be  carried  by  the  clowns. 
Clowns  walk,  their  feet  being  covered  by  a  curtain  around  the 
bed. 

Sharpshooting  Exhibition.  A  clown  places  a  lighted  candle 
on  top  of  his  head.     It  is  held  in  position  by  means  of  a  small 


82  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

holder  previously  attached.  A  small  rubber  hose  leads  from 
the  clown's  mouth  up  alongside  the  candle  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  flame.  A  second  clown  aims  at  the  candle  with  a 
cap  pistol.  When  he  pulls  the  trigger  first  clown  blows  out 
the  flame.  First  clown  places  a  lighted  match  in  his  mouth.  A 
second  clown  aims  at  it  with  a  water  gun  such  as  can  be  pur- 
chased in  nearly  any  hardware  or  novelty  goods  store,  pulls  the 
trigger,  and  water  shoots  out  of  gun  into  first  clown's  face. 

The  Lost  Rubes.  An  old  farmer  and  his  family,  who  have 
come  to  the  circus,  get  separated  in  the  crowd  and  cause  a 
disturbance,  always  afford  plenty  of  laughter. 

Football.  Three  clowns  make  up  the  stunt.  A  football  is 
tied  to  one  clown's  foot  with  elastic  band.  The  clown  to  whose 
foot  the  ball  is  tied,  kicks  the  ball  and  trips.  Another  clown 
picks  up  the  ball  and  walks  off  with  it.  He  releases  it,  when 
it  bounds  back  and  knocks  first  clown  down. 

Clown  Photography.  Hiram,  Mirandy  and  the  Photogra- 
pher take  part  in  this  stunt.  For  the  camera  take  a  wooden 
box,  about  10  in.  x  10  in.  x  14  in.,  nail  to  one  end  a  cylindrical 
piece  of  wood  to  represent  the  lens  and  shutter,  then  attach 
three  sticks  for  a  tripod.  The  Photographer  poses  the  couple, 
throws  a  black  cloth  over  the  camera  and  "focuses"  it.  Pho- 
tographer goes  through  the  business  of  posing  the  couple  and 
running  back  to  camera  several  times.  He  motions  to  the 
couple  to  hold  the  position  while  he  takes  rear  view.  The 
couple  continues  to  face  front,  assuming  very  rigid  and  awk- 
ward pose,  while  Photographer  carries  entire  camera  to  rear, 
quickly  goes  through  motions  of  posing  couple  and  focusing 
camera,  then  takes  entire  camera  and  walks  away  leaving  couple 
standing.  Photographer  never  returns.  Hiram  and  Mirandy 
finally  "come  to,"  much  surprised. 

Out  of  Season.  A  clown  meanders  around  with  fur  coat 
and  straw  hat. 

Rainy  Weather.  A  clown  carries  umbrella.  Water  shoots 
out  oF~Eo~p7-#trnrrtain-like,  through  hollow  stem.  A  rubber  bulb 
is  attached  to  the  handle  and  a  tube  extends  to  the  top. 

A  Motion  Picture  of  the  Lion.  For  a  moving  picture  ma- 
chine nail  an   old  coffee   grinder  to   a   one-by-one  inch  strip. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  83 

Place  two  small  tin  cans  on  top  of  the  grinder  for  "reels."  The 
photographer  approaches  the  lion  to  take  his  picture,  but  lion 
objects.  A  lot  of  funny  business  with  lion,  photographer  and 
group  of  clowns. 

Floats.  Floats  can  be  made  depicting  current  events.  Make 
a  float  to  resemble  a  submarine.  Clowns  inside  carry  it.  A 
clown  precedes  the  submarine  with  a  sprinkling  can. 

ANIMAL  ACTS 

Equestrian  Act.  Four  even-sized  boys,  carrying  constructed 
ponies,  trot  into  ring  where  ringmaster  takes  charge.  They 
walk,  run,  gallop  and  cake-walk  to  music  and  ringmaster's 
command.  The  Ringmaster  comments  on  the  peculiarity  of  each 
animal's  gait  while  they  burlesque  the  trot,  pace,  hand-gallop 
and  single  foot.  The  cake-walk  offers  a  fine  opportunity  for 
burlesque. 

To  the  Ringmaster's  commands  the  ponies  wheel  by  one's, 
two's  and  four's,  reversing  and  countermarching.  They  trot 
down  center  by  four's,  break  to  right  and  left  by  two's,  re- 
turning down  front  by  two's,  and  break  to  right  and  left  by 
one's.  Cross  in  rear,  and  come  down  side  to  front.  Form  in 
two's,  repeat.  Form  in  four's,  break  into  single  file  and  exit 
to  march  music. 

The  Elephant's  Performance.  Ringmaster  introduces  "Isa- 
dore,  the  Irish  Elephant."  Isadore  does  the  conventional  ele- 
phant stunts,  such  as  lifting  her  feet,  standing  and  sitting 
on  wash  tub,  walking  over  trainer  who  lies  on  floor,  etc.  She 
stands  on  two  feet,  both  on  same  side.  Her  motions  are  slow 
and  careful.  She  keeps  up  a  swaying  motion  with  her  trunk. 
Much  urging  by  her  trainer  is  required  to  put  her  through  her 
stunts  while  the  Ringmaster  carries  on  rapid  fire  conversation 
on  her  personality  and  ability. 

The  elephant  performance  is  a  burlesque  pure  and  simple. 
Isadore  can  eat  hay — if  front  operator  reaches  for  hay  through 
elephant's  mouth.  Ringmaster  makes  the  startling  announce- 
ment that  Isadore  will  now  attempt  to  stand  on  one  foot.  A  foot 
ruler  is  placed  on  the  floor  and  Isadore  steps  on  it.  Dances 
off  to  band  music 


84  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

The  Giraffe's  Performance.  "Katherine,  the  Arkansas  Gi- 
raffe," always  has  a  grouch  on  and  is  opposed  to  doing  any- 
thing that  will  please  anyone.  But  she  does  everything  she 
is  told  not  to  do ;  this  by  way  of  variety.  Happily,  however, 
her  trainer  is  well  acquainted  with  her  disposition,  and  in  order 
to  get  her  to  do  her  stunts  he  tells  her  not  to  do  them.  She 
is  commanded  not  to  switch  her  tail,  as  it  might  annoy  that 
fly  on  her  ear.  She  immediately  switches  her  rope  tail  so  vio- 
lently that  it  turns  entirely  over  at  times.  She  is  told  that  the 
people  in  the  audience  are  all  very  dignified  and  do  not  approve 
of  dancing,  which,  of  course,  starts  her  dancing  in  a  very 
awkward  manner  while  the  band  toots  discordantly.  Giraffe 
dances  out  of  ring. 

Wild  Animal  Performance  (Bears,  Lion,  and  Monkeys).  A 
lady  trainer  takes  charge  of  this  act.  The  animals  enter  the 
ring  in  single  file.  Boxes  or  small  barrels  are  arranged  in  the 
ring  for  seats  for  the  animals.  The  trainer  has  some  diffi- 
culty in  getting  the  animals  to  their  proper  positions.  The 
monkeys  and  cubs  on  opposite  sides  of  the  ring  trade  seats 
while  the  trainer  makes  her  sweeping  bows  to  the  audience. 
Whenever  the  trainer  passes  the  lion,  a  growl  is  heard.  The 
animals  are  made  to  jump  through  hoops,  over  the  trainer's 
whip,  and  over  boxes  and  hurdles.  They  are  each  given  some 
musical  instrument  furnished  by  the  clown  band.  One  of  them 
takes  the  trainer's  whip  and  acts  as  leader,  and  the  noise  be- 
gins. The  climax  of  the  act  is  reached  when  Felis  Leo  comes 
to  the  center  of  the  ring  and  places  his  arms  about  the  trainer's 
neck.     The  trainer  bows,  and  all  exit. 

Educated  Cubist  Gook.  An  ingenious  Ringmaster  will  origi- 
nate stories  about  each  feature  which  he  is  to  present,  using 
names  of  local  people  and  places  to  add  interest.  The  intro- 
duction of  the  gook  may  be  brought  about  as  follows: 

"Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  in- 
troduce to  you  the  Giant  Cubist  Gook,  the  only  one  in  cap- 
tivity." Enter  Gook,  bowing  to  audience.  "This  Gook  was 
captured  by  Professor — (name  local  character).  Doctor — 
(name  local  doctor)  thought  he  saw  the  mate  of  this  Gook 
roaming  at  large  on  the  banks  of  the — (name  local  stream) 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


85 


but  upon  coming  closer  found  it  to  be — (name  local  character) 
in  his  new  bathing  suit.  In  order  to  make  sure  that  we  get  a 
real  Cubist  Gook  for  this  show,  she  was  obtained  in  Cuba,  for 
in  Cuba  all  Cubist  Gooks  live  in  Cubeb  trees  and  even  among 
Cubeb  roots.  This  Gook  was  so  firmly  fastened  to  the  roots 
of  a  Cubeb  tree  in  Cuba,  that  in  order  to  get  her  out  they  had 
to  extract  the  cube  root."  Gook,  very  excited,  stamps  feet 
and  shakes  head.  "This  is  a  lady  Gook  and  we  have  named  her 
Jane,  but  we  call  her  Samantha  for  short.  Now,  Samantha 
has  shown  wonderful  aptitude  for  learning.  She  has  learned 
to  count  and  is  learning  to  read.  She  is  absolutely  harmless 
and  will  eat  from  the  bare  hand."      Gook   suddenly   extends 


Figure  56 
having  fun  with  the  gook 


neck,  knocking  Ringmaster's  hat  off.  Business  of  correcting 
her.  "Now,  Samantha,  many  of  these  people  have  come  thou- 
sands of  miles  to  see  you,  and  I  want  you  to  do  your  best." 
Ringmaster  holds  up  two  fingers.  "How  many  fingers  am  I 
holding  up?"  Gook  stamps  twice,  very  deliberately.  "Good! 
Now  how  many  ? — Good  ! — How  old  is  this  little  boy?"     Gook 


86  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

stamps  once  for  each  year,  previously  ascertained.  "Is  that 
right?"     Boy  answers  "yes." 

Several  other  questions  may  be  asked  and  answered  by 
Gook  by  shaking  and  nodding  of  head.  Many  other  stunts 
will  suggest  themselves.  The  age  of  a  popular  young  lady  in 
the  audience  is  asked  when  Gook  stamps  with  all  four  feet  for 
such  a  long  period  that  Ringmaster  is  forced  to  make  her  stop. 
Band  plays  and  Gook  dances  off  stage. 

Monkey  on  Roller  Skates.  Select  a  boy  who  has  some 
ability  on  roller  skates.  The  smaller  the  boy,  the  better. 
Monkey  comes  on,  walking  on  all  fours,  takes  a  seat,  while  at- 
tendant puts  on  his  skates.  He  imitates  a  monkey's  antics  and 
characteristic  movements.  Monkey  is  reluctant  to  perform 
and  requires  urging.  The  usual  gymnasium  floor  is  too  slippery 
for  roller  skates.  Sprinkle  lightly  with  a  mixture  of  chalk 
and  powdered  resin. 

The  Ball  Game  on  Mount  Ararat.  Equipment:  Large  ball 
filled  with  cotton,  and  bat  made  of  cloth  stuffed  with  cotton. 
Cushions  for  bases.  Animals  march  on  stage  barking,  growl- 
ing, etc.,  supposedly  deciding  who  shall  bat  first.  After  a 
few  minutes  of  discussion  this  is  decided  and  animals  take 
places  on  stage  for  a  game  of  "scrub."  Gook  is  umpire  and 
his  rank  decisions  bring  forth  much  disapproval  from  all  the 
players.  Elephant  may  use  his  trunk  for  bat,  and  the  Ostrich 
may  use  his  neck.  Play  continues  with  many  interruptions.  At 
last  general  fight  is  on,  when  attendants  drive  animals  off. 

Magician,  Ostrich,  and  Circus  Ambulance.  Magician  is 
attired  in  full  dress  or  frock  coat,  and  made  up  with  rosy  com- 
plexion and  black  mustache. 

He  removes  his  coat  and  rolls  up  his  sleeves.  A  fine  black 
silk  thread  about  twenty  inches  long  is  looped  through  button- 
hole of  vest  and  ends  tied  together.  Act  is  opened  with  a  comic 
introduction  of  "Professor  Angelo  Gonzolollo,"  by  the  Ring- 
master, who  explains  that  the  magician  will  attempt  to  per- 
form a  trick  called  the  "Magnetic  Mazuzzes"  which  has  been 
performed  by  very  few  white  men  and  no  Chinamen  at  all. 

The  Magician  borrows  the  black  baton  from  the  Band 
Leader  and  "magnetizes"  it  by  rubbing  it  on  his  vest  and  in  his 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  87 

hands.  Unnoticed  by  the  audience  he  slips  the  baton  through 
the  loop  in  the  thread  and  demonstrates  that  it  will  stick  to  his 
two  thumbs  when  placed  in  any  position.  The  loop  comes  to 
about  the  center  of  the  baton  while  the  two  thumbs  are  placed 
flat  against  the  baton,  an  inch  or  so  in  from  the  ends.  The 
baton  is  pushed  out,  away  from  the  body,  and  against  the  loop. 
With  a  little  practice  the  baton  can  be  made  to  "stick"  to  one 
hand  or  even  to  one  finger. 

The  Rube  attempts  the  same  trick  and  fails.     The  Magician 
repeats  performance  and  returns  baton  to  Band  Leader. 

He  next  collects  various  articles  such  as  watches,  cash,  rings, 
keys  and  hats  from  the  audience,  explaining  that  he  will  per- 
form his  famous  transposition  act.  Assistant  brings  two  large 
boxes,  placing  one  at  each  side  of  ring.  Magician  places  all 
articles  in  one  of  the  boxes,  and  explains  that  the  trick  is  to 
get  the  articles  from  one  box  to  the  other  without  human  aid. 
While  Magician  boasts  to  the  audience,  the  Ostrich  enters 
and  "devours"  contents  of  the  box.  The  Magician  discovers  the 
box  empty,  and  appears  to  be  greatly  disturbed  at  his  failure. 
Persons  in  the  audience,  previously  coached  to  object,  are 
quieted  by  Magician's  promises  to  restore  lost  articles.  Mean- 
while the  stage  hands  carry  out  both  boxes,  and  the  Farmer, 
Policeman,  and  Magician  chase  after  the  Ostrich  behind  the 
scenes.  The  articles  from  the  box  are  quickly  placed  inside  the 
Ostrich  and  all  continue  chase. 

The  Ostrich  runs  back  on  stage.  She  is  captured  and 
brought  down  the  center.  The  Ringmaster  shouts  for  the 
ambulance.  Enter  the  ambulance,  ringing  gong,  and  circling 
the  stage  several  times.  The  Driver  and  Assistant  carry  the 
ambulance.  The  Driver  becomes  the  Surgeon.  He  steps  from 
ambulance,  removes  cap  and  gloves,  and  leisurely  dons  surgeon's 
uniform,  which  consists  of  white  butcher's  coat.  Assistant, 
also  in  white,  gets  large  grip  and  "anaesthetic  machine"  (large 
bottle  with  rubber  hose  attached)  from  ambulance.  Ostrich, 
very  sick,  lies  down  with  feet  to  back  of  stage.  Assistant 
opens  grip  and  removes  butcher  knife,  meat  cleaver,  hatchet, 
pliers,  and  other  tools,  which  he  arranges  with  great  care  on 
the  floor.     Surgeon  examines  patient  carefully  while  Assistant 


88  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

sterilizes  the  instruments  (dips  them  in  pail  of  water).  Ring- 
master and  several  performers  look  on  anxiously.  Assistant 
administers  anaesthetic  (points  hose  at  Ostrich's  head  and 
makes  hissing  noise  with  mouth).  Surgeon  then  makes  in- 
cision in  stomach  (cuts  through  burlap  cover  on  Ostrich),  and 
calls  for  saw  from  ambulance.  Business  with  saw  and  other 
tools.  He  then  removes  from  sack  (hidden  in  ostrich)  articles 
previously  taken  from  audience  by  Magician,  together  with 
clock  springs,  bottles,  ropes,  nails,  etc.  Assistant  returns  ar- 
ticles to  audience.  Magician  enters  and  bows  profusely.  Pa- 
tient revives,  kicks  Surgeon  violently  and  is  subdued  by  several 
bystanders.  Surgeon  swabs  Ostrich  out  with  big  sponge, 
wrings  sponge  in  pail  of  water,  throws  sponge  into  patient, 
and  sews  Ostrich  up.  Ostrich,  completely  recovered,  looks  at 
clocksprings,  ropes,  and  other  articles  about  floor,  hops  around 
joyfully,  and  all  exit. 

The  Wedding  of  the  Bear  and  the  Lion.  This  act  may 
occur  at  the  close  of  the  circus.  All  the  animals  that  have 
previously  appeared  take  an  active  part,  while  the  clowns  and 
character  people  are  the  guests.  The  band  gives  its  interpreta- 
tion of  the  wedding  march  and  joins  in  the  uproar.  The  Ring- 
master's comments  to  the  audience  make  clear  what  is  going  on. 

The  Gook,  as  the  minister,  takes  his  position  in  the  center 
of  the  stage,  under  a  wedding  bower  placed  by  stage  hands. 
This  bower  is  decorated  with  hay,  fruits,  and  vegetables  in 
abundance.  The  Monkey  holds  the  book — Kipling's  Jungle 
Book.  After  a  short  wait  the  band  strikes  up  the  wedding 
march  and  the  bride  and  groom  appear,  preceded  by  the 
Ostrich  as  flower  girl,  dropping  vegetables  in  their  path.  The 
groom  wears  a  frock  coat  and  silk  hat — nothing  more,  while 
the  bride  is  attired  in  a  long  trained  skirt  and  a  wedding  veil. 
She  is  a  widow  and  her  two  cubs  carry  her  train.  The  Gook 
bellows  the  questions  to  the  bride  and  groom,  a  rising  inflection 
marking  the  questions.  "Glub  dup  inkney  oomp  ?  Igglety  oonk 
gubble  skygack  skeek?"  This  is  a  specimen  of  "Gook  lan- 
guage." 

The  Elephant  gives  the  bride  away.  A  serious  difficulty 
comes  up  in  the  ceremony  when  the  Lion  balks  at  the  question. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


89 


He  is  immediately  subdued  by  the  bride  and  the  ceremony  pro- 
ceeds. The  wedding  breakfast  follows  in  which  animals  and 
guests,  including  the  band,  devour  the  bower.  A  tub  of 
"punch"  is  the  liquid  refreshment,  and  everyone  imbibes  freely. 


Figure  57 
let  the  wedding  beles  ring  out 

Under  its  influence  a  dance  is  started.  The  Rube  is  master  of 
ceremonies,  while  the  band  plays  the  tune,  "Old  Zip  Coon."  The 
Ringmaster  dances  with  the  bride,  while  the  groom  takes  an 
Indian  Maiden.  The  coupling  of  the  partners  can  be  made 
very  comical.  The  dance  should  be  an  old  fashioned  quadrille. 
This  makes  a  good  closing  act  if  the  circus  is  given  in  an  audi- 
torium or  theater.  The  curtain  may  be  dropped  during  the 
dance,  the  Ringmaster  bidding  the  audience  Good  Night. 


90 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


DRILLS  AND  DANCES 

Indian  War  Dance.  Indians  enter  in  single  file,  marching 
with  crouched  stealthy  step,  while  drum  beats  tom-tom  music. 
Indians  form  circle  in  file.  The  following  typical  Indian  dance 
steps  may  be  worked  out  in  various  combinations,  the  dancers 
always  keeping  the  form  of  a  circle,  dancing  in  file,  reversing, 
facing  center,  or  pivoting: 

Stamp  Step,  body  crouching.  On  every  other  step  draw 
knee  very  high  and  stamp.     Alternate. 


Figure  58 
a  group  of  indian  girl  dancers 


Hop  Step,  body  crouching.  Swing  head  very  low.  Step 
and  hop  on  one  foot  then  on  the  other.  Move  forward,  reverse, 
pivot  right  and  left. 

Jingle  Step,  body  crouching.  Several  very  quick  hops  on 
one  foot,  then  on  the  other,  accompanied  by  swaying  the  head 
and  body. 

Yell  spasmodically  throughout  the  dance. 

Another  Indian  Dance.  Formation,  circle.  Number,  any 
number.     Indian    music.     The    hop    step    is    used    throughout. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  91 

With  body  crouching,  swing  head  very  low,  step  and  hop  on 
one  foot,  then  on  the  other. 

(1)  Eight  steps  left;  rest  eight  counts,  arms  folded,  head 
high.  (2)  Eight  steps  right;  eight  around  self;  rest  eight. 
(3)  Facing  center,  arms  upward  raise  four  counts;  lower  to 
floor  four  counts;  sixteen  counts.  (4)  Fold  arms,  move  in 
circle  to  right,  yell  "whoo"  on  every  eighth  count ;  around  circle 
once.  (Glide  follow  step  used.)  (5)  Face  right;  eight  steps 
right.  (6)  Swaying  body  and  head  repeat  1  four  counts,  kneel 
and  slap  hand  on  floor  five,  six,  stand  seven,  yell  "whoo"  eight. 
(7)  Repeat  5  and  6,  rest  eight  counts.  (8)  Facing  center, 
arms  raised  in  sun  worship,  eight  counts.  (9)  Facing  center, 
arms  lowered  in  thanksgiving,  eight  counts.  (10)  Move  to 
right  with  arms  raised,  eyes  upward,  around  circle  once. 
(11)  Rest  eight  counts.  (12)  Sit,  saying  "um-pah"  (repeat- 
ing several  times)  and  slapping  floor  while  chief  takes  last 
ear  of  corn  of  the  harvest  to  sacrifice  in  the  campfire.  Exit 
using  Indian  step  as  above. 

A  real  campfire  in  the  center  of  the  circle  (plenty  of  red 
electric  bulbs  and  red  tissue  paper)  will  help  to  make  this  dance 
very  effective.     Girls  or  boys  can  be  used,  but  preferably  boys. 

The  High  School  Cadets.  This  comic  group  may  be  named 
after  a  local  school  or  organization.     The  characters  are: 

1.  Commander.     Loud  voice;   good  military  presence. 

2.  Private — (real  name  of  performer).  The  only  real  and 
loyal  soldier  in  the  army.     Executes   all  commands  perfectly. 

3.  Private  "Knockout  O'Brien."— Tough  character;  very 
aggressive;  walks  with  swagger. 

4.  Private  "Thomas  Thumb."  Large  and  clumsy;  acts 
foolish  and  marches  awkwardly ;  executes  all  commands  wrong. 

5.  Private  "Adolph  Scratchandwriggle."  Short;  clothes 
too  large ;  very  nervous ;  always  shrugging  shoulders  and  pull- 
ing up  trousers. 

6.  Private  "Algernon  Atherton."  Dude;  neatly  dressed; 
executes  commands  in  affected  manner. 

7.  Private  "Ebenezer  Snoozelum."  Old  and  lame ;  uses  old 
broom  for  crutch;  hobbles  along  and  executes  commands  late; 
dressed  shabbily. 


92 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


This  feature  is  a  burlesque  throughout.  All  enter,  march- 
ing out  of  step.  Front  face  on  platform.  Captain  calls  the 
roll,  from  large  sheet  of  paper  carried  in  his  boot ;  he  gives 
commands,  but  they  are  all  executed  backwards  and  sometimes 
not  at  all.  Several  soldiers  fall  out  of  line  and  have  to  be  forced 
back.  One  is  ordered  shot  at  sunrise,  but  "his  mother  does  not 
wake  him  up  that  early."  The  Dude  forgets  his  duties  and 
visits  with  the  audience.     He  is  discharged  and  the  Captain 


Figure  59 
the  high  school  cadets 


calls  for  a  recruit,  when  the  Rube  appears  and  takes  Dude's 
place.  The  Rube  makes  a  fairly  good  soldier,  but  his  whiskers 
interfere.  Trouble  arises  when  Private  Thumb  drops  his  gun 
on  O'Brien's  toe.  O'Brien  puts  on  his  gloves  and  deals  Thumb 
a  knockout.  The  Captain  calls  on  them  to  salute.  The  flag 
has  been  forgotten  but  the  Rube  has  a  red  bandana  handker- 
chief to  substitute.  All  salute  in  a  different  manner.  "Eats 
are  ready,"  someone  yells  behind  the  scenes,  and  all  exit  hur- 
riedly except  Commander  and  Private  —  (good  soldier),  who 
march  out  in  a  dignified  manner. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  93 

The  Pony  Show.  This  is  a  dance  usually  used  with  the 
kindergarten  children.  The  boys  are  the  ponies  and  the  girls 
the  drivers.  The  boys  form  in  pairs,  holding  hands.  The  reins 
are  fastened  to  the  boys'  arms,  or  they  may  hold  them.  Each 
girl  drives  a  pair  of  ponies.  They  enter,  galloping  and  jump- 
ing over  low  hurdles  made  for  the  purpose.  They  form  in  a 
circle  on  the  platform.  The  various  steps  can  be  worked  out 
with  them — the  gallop,  pace,  and  trot,  around  the  circle  several 
times,  then  reversing,  using  different  formations. 

Folk  Dances.  Folk  dances  in  costume  always  take  well  in 
connection  with  the  circus,  and  should  be  used  wherever  pos- 
sible. Detailed  instructions  for  many  such  dances  will  be  found 
in  the  book,  "Dances,  Drills  and  Story  Plays,"  by  Nina  B. 
Lamkin. 

The  Mechanical  Dolls.  Six  to  twelve  girls  in  full  paper  or 
tarleton  dresses  go  through  doll  movements  to  music.  This  is 
a  splendid  feature,  and  the  younger  girls  as  well  as  the  older 
ones  will  delight  in  working  in  this  performance. 

SENSATIONAL    FEATURES 

Japanese  Slack  Wire  Performance.  Two  supports  are 
placed  on  the  stage  about  twenty  to  thirty  feet  apart.  A  rope 
with  rubber  bands  fastened  to  the  ends  is  stretched  between. 
The  performers  require  only  tights,  a  blouse,  a  conical  straw 
hat  (shaped  from  an  old  one),  and  a  paper  parasol  or  an  um- 
brella. They  skip  on  stage,  bow  and  smile  to  audience,  dip 
stocking  feet  in  box  of  sand,  rub  sand  on  hands,  hop  about  and 
pose  while  band  plays  softly.  "Music"  stops  and  drums  begin 
roll.  Performers  prepare  for  great  leap  to  rope.  As  they 
jump  upon  the  rope,  cymbals  clash  and  rope  is  forced  to  floor. 
Practice  is  needed  to  give  appearance  of  real  ropewalkmg, 
making  it  seem  to  be  very  difficult  to  keep  balanced.  Attendant 
brings  water  in  glass  and  performer  succeeds  in  drinking  while 
standing  on  rope.  Climax  is  reached  when  one  kneels  and  other 
jumps  over  him  landing  safely  on  other  side.  As  they  jump 
from  rope  it  springs  to  original  position.  As  this  act  is  purely 
a  farce  much  depends  upon  the  agility  of  the  performers  to 
"get  by"  with  it. 


94 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  95 

Another  Slack  Wire  Performance.  Two  barrels  are  placed 
on  the  platform  about  ten  feet  apart,  and  a  two-inch  plank 
is  laid  across  the  top  of  them.  The  plank  should  have  some 
spring  in  it.  The  slack  wire  performer  is  lifted  to  her  position 
on  the  plank  by  the  stage  hands.  She  makes  several  unsuccess- 
ful attempts  to  stay  on  the  wide  plank.  Finally,  the  stage 
hands  walk  on  either  side  of  her,  ready  to  catch  her,  should  she 
fall  again.  Very  clumsily  she  performs  the  conventional  slack 
wire  tricks.  Climax  is  reached  when  she  drinks  a  glass  of  water, 
which  she  poured  from  a  pitcher,  while  kneeling.  This  stunt 
can  also  be  worked  with  two  clowns  as  the  principals. 

Acrobatics.  Have  the  boys  gather  up  a  few  old  bed  mat- 
tresses for  mats.  Get  all  the  acrobats  together  and  hold  a  try- 
out.  Pick  out  the  most  capable.  Out  of  a  group  of  ten  boys 
you  can  easily  find  five  who  can  do  enough  tricks  for  an  act. 
Let  them  do  the  toe  roll,  hand  spring,  elephant  walk,  the  wagon 
wheel,  and  any  other  of  the  well  known  acrobatic  stunts. 

Pyramid  Building.  Let  five  of  the  largest  boys  kneel  in  a 
row  on  the  mat.  Four  of  the  next  smallest  sized  boys  kneel  on 
top  of  the  first  five.  Then  three  on  top  of  these,  then  two,  the 
smallest  boy  in  the  group  standing  on  top  of  the  last  two.  At 
a  command  from  the  instructor  the  boys  "squash,"  that  is, 
all  fall  flat  on  the  floor.  Another  pyramid  may  be  formed  by 
having  a  number  of  boys  form  in  a  circle,  holding  arms. 
Another  circle  of  boys  is  formed  on  the  shoulders  of  the  first 
group.  With  a  little  practice  a  third  group  of  smaller  boys 
can  form  a  circle  on  top  of  the  second  group. 

Stage  Coach  Hold-up.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  suggest 
this  feature  to  one  of  the  leaders  among  the  boys.  All  boys 
have  read  enough  about  pioneer  days,  and  have  seen  plenty  of 
Wild  West  shows  and  moving  pictures,  to  know  something 
about  this  feature.  The  difficult  part  is  the  making  of  the 
stage  coach.  Get  a  large  dry  goods  box  and  place  it  on  a 
small  cart  and  nail  securely.  Cut  an  opening  in  the  back  and 
two  small  openings  in  the  sides  for  door  and  windows.  Cut  the 
two  sides  out  of  a  small  box,  nail  it  on  top  to  the  front  for  a 
seat  for  the  driver.  Throw  a  couple  of  suitcases,  a  small  trunk, 
and  two  or  three  "mail  sacks"  (gunny  sacks)  on  top.     With  a 


96 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


Cowboy  for  a  driver  and  the  Rube,  Mirandy  and  a  few  others 
for  passengers  crowded  inside  the  box,  the  stage  coach  is  com- 
plete.    Four  boys  are  the  horses. 

Boys'  Relay  Races.  A  contest  between  different  schools  is 
always  interesting  and  exciting.  It  can  be  made  still  more  so 
if  the  management  of  the  circus  offers  a  prize  for  the  winning 
team. 


Figure  61 

one  crowd  of  boys  designed  and  built  this  novel 
push-power  racer 

Auto  Races.  Nearly  every  boy  owns  an  auto  coaster.  The 
youngsters  will  delight  in  having  races,  and  will  do  their  very 
best  to  make  a  good  showing.  The  autos,  if  not  mechanically 
propelled,  can  be  pushed  by  older  boys.  Teams  can  be  made 
up  just  as  in  regular  track  work.  The  boys  will  work  up  this 
feature   themselves. 

The  Death-Defying  Dip  {High  dive).  This  is  a  sensa- 
tional feature  and  can  be  given  very  well  as  a  closing  number. 
The  principals  in  the  feature  are  two  girls,  preferably  twins. 
They  are  dressed  in  bathing  suits  which  are  exactly  alike.  The 
apparatus  is  a  six-by-six  foot  platform,  raised  about  twenty 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  97 

feet  or  more  above  the  spectators'  heads,  and  a  large  "water 
tank"  which  is  placed  on  the  floor  a  few  feet  away  from  the 
platform.  When  ready  to  start  the  performance,  the  band 
plays  an  appropriate  air  and  Dare-Devil  Daphne,  the  Diver's 
Daughter,  ascends  the  ladder  slowly.  When  she  reaches  the 
platform  she  is  hid  behind  a  curtain  where  she  manipulates  a 
dummy,  dressed  exactly  as  she  is.  At  the  exciting  moment  she 
releases  the  dummy,  which  slides  down  a  very  fine  wire  into  the 
tank  supposed  to  contain  water.  A  big  splash  occurs.  Dare- 
Devil's  double  who  has  previously  concealed  herself  in  the  tank, 
throws  out  a  bucket  of  water  and  quickly  jumps  from  the 
tank.  The  effect  is  good,  especially  if  the  audience  knows  the 
twins,  and  if  Dare-Devil's  double  gets  herself  wet  enough. 

CONCERT    FEATURES 

Strong  Man  Act.  Use  a  very  fat  or  a  very  slender  person. 
If  fat,  array  him  in  a  tight-fitting  bathing  suit.  If  slender, 
use  a  tight-fitting  union  suit  and  trunks,  accentuating  all  his 
joints  and  points  by  padding. 

He  lifts  great  weights  with  much  preparatory  stretching 
and  gymnastics.  He  is  an  important  individual  and  takes  his 
time.  After  each  demonstration  of  strength  his  trainer  fans 
him  with  a  towel,  and  sponges  his  head.  He  lifts  a  1,000-pound 
dumb-bell  made  of  two  basketballs  with  a  broom  handle  between 
them,  the  whole  covered  with  black  cloth  and  the  "weight"  con- 
spicuously marked.  With  musical  accompaniment  he  makes 
several  false  starts.  Finally  sand  is  poured  on  the  floor  and 
wooden  blocks  are  "nailed"  around  strong  man's  feet  to  keep 
them  from  slipping.  (Stage  hand  drives  nails  only  partly 
through  blocks).  Strong  Man  succeeds  in  raising  dumb-bell 
while  band  is  awed  to  silence.  He  then  contemptuously  casts 
dumb-bell  to  a  distance,  where  it  bounces  on  the  floor.  Stage 
hand  enters  and  carries  off  the  nailed  blocks. 

By  means  of  a  strap,  strong  man  lifts  with  his  teeth  a  card- 
board pyramid  labeled  "598  pounds."  After  getting  up  mo- 
mentum he  swings  it  in  a  circle  and  finally  lets  it  fly  at  audience. 

He  balances  a  table  on  his  chin,  a  rope  being  passed  from 
one  corner  over  a  pulley  on  ceiling.     Strong  Man  lifts  table  to 


98  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

position  while  stage  hand  holds  the  rope.  Do  not  hide  the 
rope,  as  you  are  not  trying  to  fool  anybody. 

Strong  Man  also  bites  large  nails  in  two  and  breaks  rod  of 
steel.  Have  nails  and  rod  previously  sawed  nearly  in  two  with 
hack  saw. 

Mock  Prize  Fight.  For  this  feature  select  two  of  the 
largest  boys.  They  should  be  dressed  in  bathing  suits.  Have 
sponges,  buckets  of  water,  towels,  seconds,  and  other  necessary 
paraphernalia. 

Show  the  boys  how  the  professionals  sit  in  a  relaxed  posi- 
tion before  the  fight  and  how  they  shake  hands  on  the  first 
bout.  Appoint  a  timekeeper  and  referee.  The  fight  should  be 
practiced  beforehand  and  fancy  strokes  introduced.  At  knock- 
out the  referee  counts  ten.  Two  boys  carry  off  the  unconscious 
prizefighter. 

Do  not  drag  the  fight  out  too  long.  Three  or  four  rounds 
will  be  enough. 

Gypsy,  or  Fortune  Tellers',  Dance.  Music,  waltz ;  number 
of  girls,  two ;  formation,  freely  about  stage.  This  is  adapted 
from  the  Spanish  dances.  Use  aesthetic  arm  movements 
throughout. 

(1)  Run  forward,  six  steps.  Strike  tambourine  on  count 
six.     Bow,  six  counts. 

(2)  Run  backward,  six  steps.  Strike  tambourine  on  count 
six.     Bow,  six  counts. 

(3)  Hop-skip,  six  counts.  Turn  with  hop-turn,  three 
counts.     Raking  step,  three  counts. 

(4)  Repeat  (3),  four  times.  On  last  turn  kneel  and  tell 
fortunes  (placing  cards  on  floor). 

(5)  (a)  Balance-step,  forward  left  (step,  raise,  lower), 
six  counts;  (b)  balance-step,  backward  right  (step,  raise, 
lower),  six  counts. 

(6)  Turn  to  left,  waltz  step,  six  counts. 

(7)  Repeat  (5). 

(8)  Step  left,  cross  right,  step  left,  and  hop  left. 

(9)  Repeat  (5)  to  (8)  toward  right. 

(10)  Reverse  and  repeat  (5)  to  (9). 

(11)  Deep  bows  to  four  facings. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  99 

Plantation  Jubilee  Singers.  The  two  quartets  from  the  side 
shows  can  give  this  feature,  or  other  talent  may  be  used.  Sing 
rollicking  coon  songs.  The  success  of  this  feature  is  certain, 
since  the  good  singing  will  be  in  strong  contrast  to  the  "circus 
music." 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


101 


3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 

7. 


8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 


CHAPTER    ELEVEN 

ORDER   OF   PERFORMANCE 

Ring  Performance 


All 


per- 


by 


Grand    March. 

formers. 
General    introduction 

Ringmaster. 
Clown  Band. 
High  School  Ponies. 
Slack  Wire  Performance. 
Elephant. 
Pyramid      building      and 

acrobatic       work       by 

Clowns. 
Giraffe. 
Indian  dance. 
Wild  animals.    (Monkeys, 

Bears,  and  Lion.) 
Military  drill  by  Cadets. 


12.  Clown   Band;   solos   from 

various  members. 

13.  Gook. 

14.  Clown  dance. 

15.  Magician. 

16.  Ostrich   and   Circus   Am- 

bulance. 

17.  Plantation  Jubilee  Sing- 

ers. 

18.  Ball  Game. 

19.  Wedding    of    Bear    and 

Lion. 

20.  High  Dive. 

21.  Stage  Coach  Hold-up. 

22.  Auto  coaster  races. 

23.  Any  volunteered  features. 


Side  Shows 


1. 

Wild  Man. 

11. 

The  Beauty  Chorus. 

2. 

Ethiopian  Beauties. 

12. 

Negro  Minstrels. 

3. 

Snake  Charmer. 

13. 

The      January      Ground 

4. 

$25,000  Beauty. 

Hog. 

5. 

The  Oriental  Girls. 

14. 

The  Swimming  Match. 

6. 

Fat  Man. 

15. 

The  Grave  Diggers. 

7. 

Siamese  Twins. 

16. 

The  Red  Bats. 

8. 

Tattooed  Man. 

17. 

The  Monkey  Cage. 

9. 

Fortune  Teller. 

18. 

Joseph's    Coat    of    many 

10. 

Incubator  Babies. 

colors. 

The  Side  Shows  can  be  given  as  a  Concert  if  desired,  in 
which  case  they  will  follow  immediately  after  the  Ring  Per- 
formance. If  given  as  a  concert,  the  following  order  is  sug- 
gested: 


102 


HOW  TO  PUT  ON 


1.  The  Wild  Men. 

2.  The  Hawaiian   (or  Ethi- 

opian) Beauties. 

3.  The  $25,000  Beauty. 

4.  The  Siamese  Twins. 

5.  The  Tattooed  Man. 


6.  The  Fat  Man. 

7.  The  Strong  Man. 

8.  Snake  Charmers. 

9.  Gypsies     (Fortune    Tell- 

ers). 
10.    Jubilee  Singers. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


103 


CHAPTER  TWELVE 


THE   RINGMASTER 


The  Ringmaster's  costume  should  consist  of  a  high  silk  hat, 
very  high  wing  collar,  bright  red  tie,  Prince  Albert  coat,  red 
trousers,  oil  cloth  boots  which  come  above  the  knee,  a  yellow  or 
purple  waistcoat,  a  large  gilded  iron  watch  chain,  a  large  paper 
chrysanthemum  in  buttonhole,  and  a  real  whip  with  snapper. 


Figure  62 
the  ringmaster 


The  face  should  be  covered  with  flesh  paint,  cheeks  very  ruddy, 
lips  red,  eyebrows  very  heavy  and  black.  A  black  curled  mus- 
tache is  a  good  asset. 

The  Ringmaster  is  the  most  important  man  in  the  general 


104  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

performance.  A  good  voice  and  a  ready  wit  are  absolutely 
essential.  His  introductions  and  comments  to  the  audience  inter- 
pret the  nature  of  the  circus  and  the  various  features.  His  ridic- 
ulous remarks  will  relieve  an  awkward  pause  in  the  performance 
or  the  failure  of  an  actor,  as  well  as  reassure  the  performers. 
He  should  put  into  his  introductions  as  much  local  color  as 
possible.     Below  are  a  few  suggestions  for  introductions  : 

General  Introduction 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  The  greatest  of  all  shows  in  the 
world  today, — {local  name  for  circus),  will  exhibit  for  your 
pleasure  and  approval  this  evening  the  most  wonderful  and 
remarkable  living  animals,  daring  feats  of  skill  and  intelligence, 
a  stupendous  aggregation  of  wild  beasts,  in  short,  the  most 
unique  and  hair-raising  performance  ever  presented  before 
a  civilized  audience.  This  greatest  of  all  circuses  has  eighty- 
nine  carloads  of  animals  and  paraphernalia  and  a  troupe  of  over 
five  hundred  and  twenty-three  actors,  freaks,  showmen,  clowns 
and  roustabouts.  The  show  had  to  be  reduced  to  a  one-ring 
act  for  this  occasion  on  account  of  the  size  of  the  place  in 
which  we  are  giving  it.  This  wonderful  collection  of  animals 
and  performers  has  been  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  world 
and — {name  nearby  town).  These  selfsame  animals  have 
caused  many  restless  nights  for  Barndoor  Bailhay,  The  Ringtail 
Brothers,  and  the  Adam  Hind  Paw  Circuses,  for  they  have  tried 
for  years  to  capture  them  but  without  avail.  I  solemnly  re- 
quest that  you  all  sit  in  your  seats  and  maintain  a  boisterous 
silence  during  the  performance.  Loud  laughing  or  crying  will 
disturb  the  audience  and  terrorize  the  animals. 

Clown  Band 

We  take  pleasure  and  pride  in  opening  our  circus  with  a 
selection  by  the  finest  band  we  have  been  able  to  secure  for 
this  occasion.  Its  name  speaks  for  itself,  "Bumplayers,"  and 
the  charming  airs  rendered  were  composed  by  {music  leader), 
the  well  known  music  instructor  in  the  far-famed  {local  school). 
They  will  bring  tears  to  your  eyes.  (Ringmaster  wipes  his 
own  eyes.) 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  105 

Equestrian  Act 
We  shall  now  show  you  this  company's  idea  of  a  group  of 
performing  ponies.     (Ponies  trot  in.)     These  are  high-strung, 
sensitive  little  animals  and  require  careful  handling. 

Girls'  dozen  Dance 
Probably  there  is  a  reason  why  clowns  in  general  are  male 
performers,  but  we  are  about  to  show  that  there  is  one  more 
thing  where  woman  is  on  an  equality  with  man.  Miss  Blank's 
(name  of  person  in  charge  of  dance)  clown  dance,  given  by 
one  who  is  an  artist  in  her  line,  will  prove  to  you  that  the 
female  clown  is  funnier  than  the  male. 

Elephant 
Next  Ave  will  present  a  most  unusual  attraction.  All  cir- 
cuses, of  course,  carry  elephants  but  no  such  ones  as  our  Isadore, 
the  largest  specimen  of  the  jungle  ever  exhibited,  and  of  re- 
markable intelligence.  She  can  do  everything  an  ordinary 
animal  can  do,  and  knows  more  than  some  humans. 

Pyramid  Work  and  Tumbling 
Sometimes  there  are  found,  in  exceptionally  high-class 
shows,  acrobat  trainers  of  marvelous  ability.  We  are  fortunate 
to  have  the  services  of  such  a  one,  who  has  trained  and  directed 
his  acrobats  so  that  nothing  seems  too  hard  or  high  for  them 
to  climb  to.  I  refer  you  to — (name  person  in  charge)  and  his 
Perfectly  Peerless  Pyramid  Builders. 

Slack  Wire  Performance 
Next,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  comes  our  slack  wire  per- 
formance, most  particularly  slack.  Dealing  with  wires,  my 
friends,  is  dangerous  business,  as  touching  live  wires,  tapping 
wires,  wire  pulling.  And  now  you  are  to  witness  slack  wiring 
feats.  Notice  the  height  at  which  the  performers  risk  their 
lives ! 

Indians 

I  trust  that  none  will  cause  any  unusual  disturbance  during 
the  next  number.     The  Indians  that  are  about  to  appear  before 


106  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

you  are  the  direct  descendants  and  only  survivors  of  the  John 
Smith  tribe.  They  will  give  you  their  native  dance  just  as  it 
was  taught  them  by  (name  person  in  charge)  not  to  be  excelled 
as  an  instructor  of  Indians  and  whites  in  dancing  and  war-cries. 

Wild  Animal  Performance 

And  now  we  come  to  the  most  interesting  and  delightful 
of  all,  the  Long  Tailed  Acrobatic  Monkeys,  the  Nubian  Pie- 
faced  Lion,  the  Ferocious  Gazoodelum,  and  other  wild  beasts 
of  the  jungle. 

Military  Drill,  or  "High-School  Cadets" 

Schools  throughout  the  country  (waves  hands  grandly) 
are  training  young  men  in  military  tactics.  (Name  local 
school) — has  been  one  of  the  first  to  carry  out  this  idea,  and 
has  formed  what  is  now  considered  a  model  company  of  young 
soldiers,  under  the  leadership  of  Captain — (name  person  in 
charge).  Owing  to  the  lack  of  funds,  this  company  has  gen- 
erously provided  its  own  uniforms.  No  expense  has  been 
spared  in  its  equipment.  The  boys  are  marvels  of  prompt  obe- 
dience, intelligence  and  efficiency. 

Magician 

My  pleasure  has  reached  its  zenith  in  introducing  to  you 
Professor  Angelo  Gonzolollo,  who  will  attempt  to  perform  a 
few  tricks  of  magic.  (Magician  fails  to  enter.  Ringmaster 
shouts  for  Magician,  who  enters  and  makes  excuses.) 

Other  Features 

Other  features  are  introduced  with  a  few  well-chosen  re- 
marks in  the  same  bombastic  style.  Each  introduction  should 
be  brief.  If  it  is  long  drawn  out,  the  audience  will  grow  tired 
and  lose  interest. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


107 


CHAPTER  THIRTEEN 

TO   THE   ADVERTISING  AND   FINANCE   MANAGER 

The  advertising  manager  is  the  business  man  of  the  circus. 
He  should  have  charge  of  the  securing  and  distributing  of  all 
advertising  matter,  such  as  window  cards,  handbills,  posters, 
etc.  If  advertising  space  is  to  be  sold  on  programs,  or  on 
parade  banners,  he  sees  to  that  also.  He  writes  up  the  local 
items  about  the  circus  for  the  newspaper.  He  distributes  tickets 
for  sale,  appoints  ticket  sellers  for  the  general  performance  as 
well  as  for  the  side  shows,  and  appoints  hawkers  to  sell  refresh- 
ments. 


Figure  63 
the  main  entrance,  showing  ticket  offices 


A  parade  is  undoubtedly  the  best  form  of  advertisement. 
The  weather  may  be  such,  however,  that  the  parade  cannot  be 
given,  so  you  ought  to  have  some  window  cards  or  posters  to 


108  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

distribute.  They  should  mention  the  place  and  time  of  per- 
formance, and  price  of  admission,  and  should  be  distributed 
about  two  weeks  previous  to  date  of  circus. 

Besides  the  window  cards,  small  handbills  may  be  had  to 
distribute  the  day  of  the  circus.  These  can  either  be  smaller 
than  the  window  cards,  or  printed  from  the  same  form. 

Your  local  newspaper  should  contain  items  about  the  circus 
at  least  two  weeks  previous  to  the  date  of  the  show.  Some 
good  stories  may  be  written  about  the  various  animals  and 
special  features,  and  given  to  the  editor.  Advertising  in  the 
newspaper  should  begin  about  a  week  previous  to  circus  day. 

Banners  giving  place,  time,  and  admission  price  of  per- 
formance should  be  carried  in  the  parade,  as  well  as  banners 
advertising  side  shows  and  prominent  features  of  the  per- 
formance. 

The  general  admission  tickets  can  be  made  by  the  local 
printer.  Before  distribution  they  should  be  stamped  with  some 
sort  of  seal,  all  carefully  counted,  and  put  in  packages  of  ten. 
This  makes  them  more  convenient  to  handle  and  give  out  to 
ticket  sellers. 

Side  show  tickets  can  perhaps  be  obtained  from  your  local 
moving  picture  theater  manager  in  the  form  of  rolls.  Or  they 
can  be  ordered  from  roll  ticket  manufacturers,  whose  advertise- 
ments will  be  found  in  almost  any  theatrical  paper.  They  are 
numbered  consecutively  making  it  easy  to  keep  track  of  the 
number  sold.  The  ideal  arrangement  for  handling  the  side 
show  tickets  is  to  have  a  ticket  seller  and  a  doorman  at  each 
side  show,  but  this  divides  the  responsibility  of  handling  the 
cash  among  many.  By  appointing  three  or  four  good  barkers 
to  sell  side  show  tickets  among  the  crowd,  each  side  show  will 
require  but  one  person  in  charge,  who  takes  the  tickets  and 
calls  out  the  merits  of  his  side  show  in  true  circus  style. 

Hawkers  may  sell  ice  cream  cones,  red  lemonade,  soda  pop. 
peanuts,  pop  corn,  gum  and  candy.  They  are  responsible  to 
someone  in  authority  who  supplies  them  with  their  wares.  It 
will  be  found  more  satisfactory  to  supply  the  hawkers  with  a 
given  amount  of  change.  They  then  pay  for  their  wares  as 
they  get  them,  and  in  checking  up  turn  in  the  original  change. 


AX  AMATEUR  CIRCUS 


109 


Remember  that  more  refreshments  will  be  sold  if  they  are  of- 
fered in  sanitary  and  attractive  containers. 

Renting  previously  collected  sofa  pillows  to  spectators  has 
been  found  very  profitable.  Yse  only  old  cushions,  and  be  sure 
to  sew  on  names  of  owners  so  that  all  will  be  returned. 

Handling  the  cash  may  become  embarrassing  if  all  does  not 
go  well.  Have  as  few  people  handle  cash  as  possible,  and  be 
sure  that  they  are  painstaking  as  well  as  reliable.  Have  one 
person  in  charge  of  hawkers,  who  will  be  responsible  for  all  rev- 
enue from  this  source.  Side  show  ticket  sellers  should  be  di- 
rectlv  responsible  to  the  advertising  manager.  General  ad- 
mission tickets  must  be  handled  by  some  one  accustomed  to  mak- 
ing change. 


110  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

CHAPTER  FOURTEEN 
A  Model  Program  for  Your  Circus 

PROGRAM 


The  Northeast  School 
presents 

THE  COMBINED  ADAM  HINDPAW  AND  BARNDOOR 

BAILHAY  RINGLESS  CIRCUS 

(or  introduce  local  name) 


Director (Name) 

Ringmaster    (Name) 


A.  Grand  March. 

B.  Professor  Bumplayer's  Clown  Band.     Its  name  speaks 

for  itself.     The  composer  of  the  charming  airs  rendered 
asked  that  his  name  be  withheld. 

C.  The  Equestrian  Act.     The  famous  High  School  Ponies 

in  their  marvelous  feats  of  skill  and  intelligence. 

D.  The   Wonderful    Slack   Wire   Performance.      Notice 

the  height  at  which  the  performers  risk  their  lives.     A 
feat  never  performed  before  by  a  human  being. 

E.  ISADORE,  THE  IRISH  ELEPHANT,  AND  THE  BABY  ELEPHANT. 

The  largest  and  smallest  specimens  of  the  jungle  ever 
exhibited. 

F.  The  Perfectly  Peerless  Pyramid  Builders  in  their  per- 

ilous acrobatic  feats. 

G.  Katherine,   the  Arkansas  Giraffe.      Better  known   as 

Katherine,  the  Obstinate. 
H.     Indian  Dance.     Direct  descendants  of  the  John  Smith 
Tribe. 


AN  AMATEUR  CIRCUS  111 

I.  Lady  Zazarabella  and  Her  Group  op  Untamed  Ani- 
mals. Felis  Leo,  the  Nubian  Pie-faced  Lion ;  Watsa 
Bruin  and  Family ;  the  Hoopmazoops,  the  Longtail 
Acrobatic  Monkeys. 

J.      The  High  School  Cadets. 

K.  Solos  from  various  members  of  the  Clown  Band — by  spe- 
cial request. 

L.  Samantha,  the  Mysterious  Cuban  Gook.  The  only  one 
in  captivity.  Can  add,  substract,  tell  your  age  and  read 
your  mind. 

M.    Clown  Dance.     Mirthful  and  musical. 

N.  Professor  Angelo  Gonzolollo  Swindler.  Watch  for 
his  miraculous  transportation  trick. 

O.  Nancy,  the  Siberian  Ostrich.  She  has  a  keen  appetite 
for  watches  and  other  jewelry. 

P.     The  Plantation  Jubilee  Singers. 

Q.     The  Ball  Game  on  Mount  Ararat. 

R.     The  Wedding  of  the  Bear  and  Lion. 

S.  Dare-Devil  Daphne,  the  Diver's  Daughter,  in  her 
death-defying  dip. 

T.     Stage-Coach  Hold-Up. 

U.     Auto  Coaster  Races. 


A  GUIDE  TO  THE  SIDE  SHOWS 

The  Wild  Man,  recently  captured  near — {nearby  small  town). 

Fuzzifonis,  the  Ethiopian  Beauty. 

The  $25,000  Beauty,  who  recently  won  the  prize  as  the  most 
beautiful  woman  in  Paris  and  who  now  receives  one 
million  dollars  per  year  to  travel  with  this  great  show 
and  let  people  gaze  at  her  two  hours  per  week. 

The  Congress  of  Freaks.  The  Fat  Man,  weighing  528 
pounds  sterling.  The  only  and  original  Siamese  Twins. 
The  Tattooed  Man.     The  Bearded  Lady,  and  others. 

The  Beauty  Chorus*  a  ring  with  every  admission. 


112  HOW  TO  PUT  ON 

The  Marvelous  Museum,  comprising  the  January  Ground 
Hog,  the  Swimming  Match,  the  Grave  Diggers,  the 
Red  Bats  from  Australia,  and  many  other  rare  and 
precious  articles  loaned  by — (local  name)  for  this  spe- 
cial occasion. 

Madam  De  Python,  the  Snake  Charmer  from  the  Orient. 

The  Periscope.  Brought  over  from  France  by — (local  name). 
Have  a  look. 

Princess  Kanjmar.  It  is  not  safe  to  leave  the  grounds  until 
you  have  your  fortune  told.  Tell  your  troubles  to  the 
Princess.     She  will  help  you  out  of  the  difficulty. 

Hall  op  Hilarity.  You  will  scream,  you  will  howl,  you  will 
giggle  and  gasp,  and  maybe  you  will  even  faint — but 
it's  worth  it,  so  come  on  in. 

Angelo  Gonzolollo  Swindler,  the  man  of  mystery. 

The  Fat  Man.  His  pathetic  tale  of  how  he  grew  and  grew 
from  a  tiny  baby  while  all  the  rest  of  the  family  re- 
mained normal  will  bring  tears  to  the  eyes  of  all  who 
hear  him. 


Circus  Committee 

(Name) General  Chairman 

(Name) Finance 

(Name) Tickets 

(Name) Publicity 

(Name) Tent  and  Grounds 

(Name) Construction  of  Animals 

(Name) Costumes 

(Name) Clowns 

(Name) Ring  Events 

(Name) Side  Shows 

(Name) • Parade 

(Name) Ushers  and  Venders 

(Name) Properties 

(Name) Music 

Finis. 


How  To  Chalk  Talk 


By  HARLAN  TARBELL 

HPHE  person  who  can  do  a  chalk 
talk  stunt  is  always  in  demand 
as  an  entertainer.  Most  people 
think  that  the  lightning  artist  has  a 
special  gift  unattainable  to  the  av- 
erage mortal.  The  truth  is  that 
knowing  how  counts  more  for  suc- 
cess than  natural  genius. 

We  have  here  a  complete  presen- 
tation of  the  theory  and  practice 
of  this  fascinating  form  of  enter- 
tainment, including  a  discussion  of 
the  principles  of  chalk  talking,  ma- 
terials and  equipment  required,  how  to  arrange  a  pro- 
gram, color  pictures,  facial  expressions,  various  kinds 
of  trick  pictures,  including  evolution  and  upside-down 
pictures,  landscapes,  turning  names  into  faces,  dot 
pictures,  famous  characters,  seasonable  pictures,  clos- 
ing  pictures. 

There  are  fifty-two  full-page  original  illustrations 
showing  just  how  the  crayon  pictures  are  started  and 
completed.  A  great  many  of  the  subjects  are  humor- 
ous. These  drawings  have  been  chosen  by  the  author 
from  among  the  most  popular  items  of  his  own  pro- 
grams, which  he  has  found  by  experience  to  be 
sure-fire. 

Humorous  patter,  or  talk,  is  also  included  for  de- 
livery while  making  the  various  drawings.  Guided 
by  this  book,  any  amateur  entertainer  with  an  artistic 
bent   should  make   rapid   progress   as  a  chalk  talker. 

Attractively    bound    in    art    boards    and    well 

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Price,  #1.00 


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CHICAGO 


Chalk    Talk    Stunts 

By  HARLAN   TARBELL 

XTT'HERE  to  find  plenty  of  good 
VV  chalk  talk  pictures  is  the  first 
(and  last)  worry  of  the  chalk 
talk  entertainer.  Once  he  has 
established  his  popularity  in  his 
own  community  and  his  lecture  en- 
gagements begin  to  multiply,  he 
must  be  constantly  replenishing  his 
stock  of  platform  material. 

For   chalk  talking,   as   an   avoca- 
tion of  considerable  financial  profit, 
is  constantly  growing  in  popularity 
and     is     being     utilized     by     many 
classes    of    people.      Lecturers    and 
sales    managers    find    it    easier    to 
drive   home   their   points   by  means 
of  pictures  than  by  the  written  and  the  printed  word. 
To   meet  the  needs  of  all  such  entertainers  and  in- 
structors,   this    volume    has    been    prepared.      It    con- 
tains a  great  abundance  and  variety  of  entertainment 
material   for  the  chalk-talk  artist.     After  a  few  prac- 
ticable  suggestions  for  preparing  a  chalk  talk,   comes 
a    succession    of   pictures    with    a    punch — fifty-five    of 
them,     each    presented     in     a    full-page    illustration — 
drawn  largely  from  the  author's  own  extensive  experi- 
ence as   a   chalk-talk   entertainer.     With  each  picture 
goes  a  full  line  of  "patter"  in  snappy  prose  or  verse, 
together  with  valuable  instructions  on  the  art  of  mak- 
ing the  crayon  keep  pace  with  the   "patter." 

Among  the  novelty  stunts  are:  the  lazy  man's  chalk 
talk;  a  novelty  telephone  stunt;  and  various  clever 
pictures  evolved  from  chance  combinations  of  a  circle, 
a  triangle,  and  a  square.  There  are  also  a  section 
devoted  to  evolution  and  upside-down  pictures,  and 
another  section  of  comical  drawings  giving  the  dough- 
boy's impressions  of  the  funny  side  of  life  in  war-time 
France.  Everything  is  made  simple  and  easy  for  the 
amateur  platform  artist. 

Attractively     bound     in     art     boards     and     well 

printed  on  good  paper,  with  novel  cover  design. 

Price,  $1.00 

T.  S.  Denison  8C  Company,  Publishers 

203    North  Wabash  Avenue  CHICAGO 


Impromptu  Magic, 
with  Patter 

By    GEORGE    DE  LAWRENCE 


A  SUPREME  collection  of 
clever,  off-hand  tricks  that  can 
be  presented  with  little  or  no  prac- 
tice, require  no  sleight-of-hand 
skill  and  are  independent  of  any 
apparatus.  The  only  articles  called 
for  are  ordinary  coins,  cards, 
matches,  etc.,  such  as  are  always 
at  hand.  An  excellent  line  of  pat- 
ter, in  which  humor  predominates, 
is  included  for  each  trick  and  there 
are  numerous  illustrations. 
Among  the  many  clever  but  easy 
effects  taught  may  be  mentioned  the  lemon  and  dol- 
lar bill  trick  without  sleight-of-hand,  several  baffling 
mind  reading  effects,  card  in  the  pocket,  vanishing 
drinking  glass,  penetrating  match,  traveling  coins, 
four-coin  trick,  coins  out  of  hat,  dime  and  penny  trick, 
swallowing  a  knife,  torn  and  restored  paper  napkin, 
etc. 

Dr.  A.  M.  Wilson,  editor  of  "The  Sphinx,"  who 
contributes  the  introduction,  says : 

"Many  books  and  booklets  on  patter,  numerous 
works,  little  and  big,  on  magic,  have  been  published. 
But  not  until  this  work  of  DeLawrence  has  there 
been  one  that  covered  both,  and  with  material  that 
anyone  of  reasonable  intelligence  could  use  success- 
fully and  satisfactorily.  Having  read  the  manuscript 
I  congratulate  the  author  on  his  wise  selection  of 
tricks  and  on  the  sensible  and  appropriate  patter." 


Attractively    bound   in   art   boards,    fully 

illustrated,  well  printed  on  f£ood  paper. 

Price,  $1.00 


T.  S.  Denison  &  Company,  Publishers 

203    North  Wabash  Avenue  CHICAGO 


i '  ".""" 


Dances,Drills and  Story-Plays 

By   NINA  B.   LAMKIN 
Director  of  Normal  Course  in  Physical  Education  at  North- 
western School   of   Oratory   and   Physical 
Education,  Evanston,  III. 

FOURTEEN  Folk  Dances 
of  various  countries, 
suitable  for  schools,  clubs, 
churches,  settlements,  etc. 
Twenty-six  simple  ^Esthetic 
Dances,  as  Dances  cf  the 
Seasons,  Flower  Dances, 
Brownies,  Fairies,  Bluebirds, 
etc.  Twenty-four  Drills  for  every  day  and 
holidays,  unusual,  artistic  and  worth  while. 
Forty-one  Rhythms  and  twelve  Story-Plays  to 
be  used  with  primary  ages  in  every-day  recrea- 
tion, in  dramatization  and  in  entertainments. 
There  is  something  in  this  book  to  fit  any  occa- 
sion where  such  material  is  desired.  For  Boy 
Scouts,  Camp  Fire  Girls,  Gymnasium  Work, 
Play  Festivals,  Field  Days,  etc.  Everything 
fully  described.  Suggestive  music  named  and 
description  of  costumes  given.  Contains  eight 
original  photographs,  half-toned,  of  various 
dances. 


Beautiful  cloth  binding,  lettering  and 
design  in  two  colors,  clear,  attractive 
type.  Price,  $1.25 

T.  S.  Denison  &  Company,  Publishers 

203   N.  Wabash  Ave.  CHICAGO 


Humorous  Plays  for 
Children 

By  GRACE  SORENSON 

OIXTEEN  little  plays  for  chil- 
^  dren  of  the  upper  grammar 
grades,  on  topics  intimately  related 
to  everyday  life.  The  chief  merit 
of  the  plays  is  that  the  characters 
are,  for  the  most  part,  real,  live, 
flesh-and-blood  children,  full  of 
fun  and  mischief,  with  plenty  of 
faults  to  balance  their  good  qual- 
ities. 

In  theme,  treatment,  and  every 
other  respect,  the  plays  are  thor- 
oughly modern,  and  with  one  or 
two  exceptions  are  enlivened  by  plenty  of  droll,  whim- 
sical humor.  The  sets  are  simple  and  easy,  being 
largely  home  scenes ;  and  only  one  of  the  plays  calls 
for  fancy  or  elaborate  costumes.  Children  will  de- 
light in  them,  and  directors  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
presenting  them. 

The  plays  are  as  follows :  The  Closed  Gate,  The 
Comic  Valentine,  The  Cross  Lady's  Christmas, 
Father's  Surprise,  The  Flower  of  Pure  Gold,  Geral- 
dine's  Inspiration,  A  Grateful  Family,  The  Halloween 
Ghost  Party,  The  Missing  Princess,  New  Year  Reso- 
lutions, Petty  Patch's  Rummage  Sale,  Petty  Patch's 
Strike,  A  Rainy  Arbor  Day,  A  Stubborn  May  Queen, 
Their  Stepmother's  Arrival,  and  The  Valentines' 
Quest. 


Beautiful  cloth  binding,  lettering  and  de- 
sign in  two  colors,  clear  attractive  type. 
Price,  #1.00 


T.  S.  Denison  8C  Company,  Publishers 


203    North  Wabash  Avenue 


CHICAGO 


Juvenile  Comedies 


By  GRACE  SORENSON 

piFTEEN  amusing  little  plays 
for  the  teen  ages,  dealing  in 
breezy,  humorous  fashion  with  the 
problems  and  diversions  of  every- 
day children.  Each  play  has  a 
well-conceived  plot,  with  plenty  of 
lively  action  and  suspense,  and, 
in  some  cases,  a  surprise  ending, 
which  imparts  a  pleasant  little 
thrill  to  audiences  and  players.  In 
all  but  one  play,  simple,  workaday 
costumes  are  the  rule.  Two  of  the  plays  have  school- 
room settings,  and  all  are  easily  staged.  A  few 
represent  special  holiday  material. 

The  plays  are  as  follows:  The  Adopted  One,  The 
Golden  Easter  Egg,  The  Halloween  Porch  Party,  The 
Left-Over  Boy,  The  Little  Cousin,  The  Meriwether 
Fortune,  Miss  Bennett's  House  Party,  The  Mistake, 
The  Most  Beautiful  Valentine,  The  Mystery  of  the 
Buried  Box,  The  New  Teacher,  The  Runaways,  The 
School  Clown,  The  Spooky  Halloween,  The  Stupid 
Christmas. 

Attractively    bound   in    art   boards    and    well 

printed  on  good  paper,  with  novel  cover  design. 

Price,   #1.00 


T.  S.  Denison  8C  Company,  Publishers 


203    North   Wabash   Avenue 


CHICAGO 


Jfle  High  School  J 

IStuntShow 
Jcarhlval  1 

IB 

IB 

The  High  School  Stunt 
Show  and  Carnival 

By  WILLIARD  B.   CANOPY 

pjERE  is  exactly  what  you  need 
for  your  high  school  circus  or 
carnival  or  stunt  show.  It  offers 
complete  practicable  information  on 
how  to  advertise  the  show,  how 
to  organize  the  school  committees, 
and  how  to  plan  the  parade,  estab- 
lish the  food  and  candy  booths  and 
the  country  store,  and  manage  the 
various  side  shows.  Thirty-four 
stunts  and  acts  and  nineteen  side 
shows,  all  guaranteed  fun-makers, 
full  of  novel  and  entertaining 
qualities,  are  described  in  detail, 
many  of  them  carrying  a  full  line  of  comedy  patter. 
A  burlesque  strong  man  act,  an  uproariously  funny 
scene  from  "William  Tell,"  a  comical  kitchen  band, 
a  fearful  and  wonderful  hot  dog  machine — these  are 
a  few  of  the  stunts  that  commend  the  book  to  carni- 
val directors.  All  are  simple  and  easily  performed, 
and  unhampered  by  unduly  elaborate  and  expensive 
equipment. 

Partial  Contents:  General  Organization;  The  Parade; 
Fortune  Telling  Booth;  The  Monkey  Cage;  Automobile  Trouble; 
The  Baby  Show;  The  House  of  Terrors;  The  Farmers'  Quar- 
tet; Horse  Race;  Mephisto,  the  Educ?ted  Horse;  The  Coun- 
try Store;  The  Museum;  Gallery  of  Famous  Pictures;  Hot 
Dog  Machine;  Radio  Act;  A  Trip  Around  the  World;  Scene 
From  William  Tell;   Strong  Man  Act;  The  Faculty  Graveyard. 

Attractively    bound    in    art    boards    and    well 

printed  on  good  paper,  with  novel  cover  design. 

Price,   #1.00 

T.  S.  Denison  &  Company,  Publishers 


203    North  Wabash   Avenue 


CHICAGO 


Here's  for  a  Good  Time 


By   BEATRICE   PLUMB 

A  LARGE  and  diversified  collec- 
""  tion  of  parties  for  the  ad- 
vanced teen  ages  and  adults,  chron- 
ologically arranged  to  cover  every 
month  in  the  year.  Offers  par- 
ties for  every  important  holiday, 
for  miscellaneous  gatherings,  for 
church  socials,  for  club  celebra- 
tions and  similar  entertainments, 
with  full  details  as  to  decorations, 
menus,  and  the  like.  Hostesses, 
young  and  old,  will  find  this  vol- 
ume a  gold  mine  of  interesting  and 
practicable  entertainment  ideas,  and 
a  challenge  to  all  other  party  books  on  the  market. 

Contents:  A  Flying  Time  Party;  A  Big  Time  Party;  A 
Calendar  Supper;  A  Baby  Party;  Love-m-a-Cottage  Bazaar; 
By  George— A  Party!;  A  Be-My-Valentme  Party;  Have-a- 
Heart  Social;  An  Easter  Party;  An  Irish  Riot;  Mad-As-a- 
March-IIare  Party;  Good  Luck  Banquet;  A  Spring-Is-Sprung 
Party;  Simple  Simon's  April  First  Party;  April  Fool  Holds 
a  Party;  A  Spring-Cleaning  Party;  A  Rainbow  Social;  A 
May-Day  Party;  A  Progressive  Little  Party  for  Mothers 
Day;  Plans,  Grave  and  Gay,  for  Mother's  Day;  A  June  Bug 
Party;  A  Rose  Shower  for  the  Bride-to-Be;  A  Vacation  Trip 
for  Stay-at-Homes;  Bon  Voyage  Party;  A  Cracker-Jack  Party; 
A  Keep  Cool  Party;  Fourth  of  July  Jamboree;  A  July  Fourth 
Circus;  A  Gypsy  Surprise  Party;  A  Japanese  Lawn  Party; 
A  Back-to-the-Farm  Party;  Hobo  Convention;  A  Beach  Party; 
A  Fall-Together  Party;  A  Back-to-School  Party;  A  Canning 
Party;  Labor  Day  Picnic;  A  Spectral  Spree;  Halloween  Hor- 
rors Party;  An  Indoor  Nutting  Party;  The  Cat's  Meow;  A 
Halloween  Hunting  Party;  A  Fine  Evening  Party;  An  Old 
Time  Market;  A  Many-Happy-Returns  Party;  A  Puritan 
Thanksgiving  Party;  A  Merry  Christmas — And  How;  A 
Christmas  Bells  Party;  A  Big-Parcel  Party  for  Christmas; 
The  Birds'  Christmas  Tree  Party;  Christmas  Party  Plans,  and 
supplementary    material. 

Attractively    bound    in    art    boards    and    well 

printed  on  good  paper,  with  novel  cover  design. 

Price,   $1.50 

T.  S.  Denison  8C  Company,  Publishers 

203    North  Wabash   Avenue  CHICAGO 


TI — 938 


V 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


